Students studying a Pharmacy undergraduate degree are required to undertake clinical placements for which Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses (TDAE) can be reimbursed by the NHS for eligible students. The University of Bath offers students a short-term loan to help cover these specific costs until reimbursement is paid.

The Short-Term Pharmacy Clinical Placement Loan scheme is designed to assist TDAE eligible MPharm students who find themselves unable to pay upfront for the costs of travel and/or accommodation for mandatory clinical placements as part of their course. This scheme is available during placement weeks only.

This scheme is available to students who are eligible for statutory funding e.g. Tuition Fee and/or Maintenance Loans/Grants from their respective funding body i.e. SFE, SFW, SAAS or SFNI. We recommend that all students, where eligible, have ensured that they have applied for their full statutory student funding entitlement.

Any registered MPharm student who is eligible to claim Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses (TDAE) as part of the NHS Learning Support Fund may apply for a short-term clinical placement loan of up to £1,000.

The loan of up to £1,000 is based on the caps the NHS Learning Support Fund has set for travel and accommodation costs. If you choose accommodation or travel options above the set caps (see below) you will need to cover this expense yourself.

If you are not eligible for TDAE, please contact the pharmacy placement team on PA-Placements@bath.ac.uk.

Any registered MPharm student who receives Home UK statutory student funding is eligible to claim Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses (TDAE) as part of the NHS Learning Support Fund.

You have a maximum of 6 months from the last date of the placement period you're claiming for to submit your claim. Once you submit your claim, the University will check it first before it is submitted to the NHSBSA. Once they receive the claim from the university, they aim to process it within 20 working days.

Further guidance and details on how to complete a claim is provided within the Complete your TDAE claim - a guide for students and Universities 2025 to 2026 guidance booklet.

For any questions about reclaiming your expenses from the NHS Learning Support Fund please contact the Pharmacy Department on PA-Placements@bath.ac.uk.

If you've attended a mandatory clinical placement as part of your course, you may be able to claim back:

• excess costs for travel relating to your placement, compared to your usual daily journey to university
• temporary accommodation you paid for to attend your placement

For travel you can claim:

• actual cost of public transport
• 30 pence per mile for cycling
• 42 pence per mile for driving
• actual cost of any parking, tolls and ferries

For accommodation you can claim:

• up to £82.50 per night for commercial accommodation - for example, a hotel or bed and breakfast where a commercial rental agreement is entered into
• up to £37.50 per night for non-commercial accommodation - for example, with a friend or relative (but not parents) or in a room in a private house where there is no formal tenancy or contract in place, with a formal rental payment. Please note: this includes accommodation advertised on online platforms, such as Airbnb, which is then booked through informal, offline arrangements.

Before applying, you must ensure that the costs you will incur are in line with the TDAE policy. Once you are satisfied you meet the eligibility criteria, you need to complete the short-term loan application form.

When asked to outline why your circumstances require assistance from this fund, please use the following wording:

'I am applying for a loan to cover the travel and/or accommodation costs for my Pharmacy clinical placement.'

We aim to inform you of the outcome, and if successful, process payments within three working days of receipt of a complete application. However, please allow plenty of time to make an application as we have certain procedures we must adhere to.

Please note: loans will not normally be offered to students who have defaulted on a previous short-term loan.

Short-Term Loans are interest free, and a repayment date will be agreed with the Student Money Advice Team when taking out the loan.

The repayment date will usually be set for 60 days from applying for the Short-Term Loan, this should allow enough time for you to submit your TDAE claim and receive a response from the NHS Learning Support Fund.

If you feel that you require a higher amount or longer loan period, please speak to the Student Money Advice Team who may be able to approve this in exceptional cases. You can contact Student Money Advice in person, by phone or by email.

If you have a longer-term cash flow problem, you should consider making a full application to the University of Bath Financial Support Fund which may be able to provide discretionary assistance if you are struggling to cover your living costs.