‘Sleeping in library to manage their bills’: Leeds medical students call for full maintenance

A report by the BMA (British Medical Association) on the student finance of medical students within the UK has shown that there are gaps within the system, making it increasingly difficult for medical students to complete their degree without financial worries.

How does funding work for medical students?

Unlike the majority of undergraduate students, medical students must complete five to six years of study to receive their degree. However, their student maintenance loans ceases at the end of the fourth year.

After this, they lose the ability to have a maintenance loan and move onto a reduced-rate loan. Students are guided towards accessing the NHS Bursary for their final year. However, this creates increasing hardship for students, as BMA’s report shows, some students are seeing a drop as high as £4,500 in their funding in 2025/26.

How is this affecting students?

The report by BMA  shows a study of 3,500 medical students, which found that financial pressure is affecting students’ studies. It is reported that four in ten students stated that they have been forced to consider pausing or leaving their degree because of this stress. Nine in ten said this has affected their mental health.

Students have begun taking measures such as cutting down on essential spending, such as food and housing bills (such as heating and gas). At least 100 students reported that they have started using food banks.

Students are also turning to private loans and overdrafts to make ends meet, as well as working multiple jobs. Some have had to begin taking support from family and friends, putting strain on their personal lives also.

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BMA Medical School deputy co-chair for finance, Yalna Pouya, said: “Too many students are struggling to afford the basics while they’re studying hard to become the doctors of the future.

“They’re burning out trying to work multiple jobs to keep afloat, and in too many cases questioning whether they can continue training as doctors at all. The NHS can’t afford to lose them.”

In an interview, the Leeds Tab conducted with BMA, deputy co-chair for finance, Anusha Gajanan, told us about the personal toll this is having on students: “Some are working late-night shifts and then going straight into clinical placements the next morning – or having to skip placement all together, which is really harming their training.

“One med student has even confided in me that they have had to resort to sleeping in the library to manage their bills until the next payment.

“So many of us have to constantly juggle between working enough to pay our rent and studying enough to keep our grades up. The struggle to get to the finish line is exhausting and feels like a fight for survival for so many.”

So, what could be done?

As stated in the BMA report, the restoration of full maintenance funding for undergraduate medical degrees would cost the Treasury 29 million pounds. Although this seems like a large figure, this is just 0.147 per cent of SFE’s annual loan amount.

The risk of not addressing this issue is not allowing medical students the support for the intense learning and work they are committing to. It also acts to deter students from less advantaged backgrounds from entering the medical field due to the fear of not being able to cover basic costs.

Anusha also said: “The NHS 10-year plan acknowledges that the cost of studying medicine deters working-class students, and the government has acknowledged that the marginal increase of 3.1 per cent to the NHS bursary in 2025 does not come close to resolving the systemic issues.”

What is the aim of this campaign?

The hope from this campaign is to make these issues visible to medical students, showing that they may not be isolated in their difficulties. The BMA is also calling on the Government to consider aiding medical students in their undergraduate degrees.

BMA will be hosting the campaign across ten university campuses:

• Anglia Ruskin University
• Bangor University
• University of Birmingham
• University of Exeter
• King’s College London
• Newcastle University
• University of Leeds
• University of Lancashire
• University of Nottingham
• University of Sheffield
• University of Sunderland
• University of Surrey
• Imperial College London (TBC)

Anusha explained: “The most important thing students can do is make their voices heard. That can mean writing to their MP using the tool on our website, sharing the finance report, or talking openly with their peers about what’s happening.

“Even small actions matter. Every conversation, email, and post helps strengthen the campaign.

“We want the students at the University of Leeds, and every participating campus, to learn more about how the funding system works, why the drop happens, and how it affects med students across the country.

“They’re also a space for students to share their experience, connect with others who feel the same way, and get involved in practical campaigning.’

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Featured image via Unsplash