Intercalating on to an undergraduate course

Studying medicine or dentistry as your first undergraduate degree

If you intercalate after the third year of your medicine/dentistry programme, or earlier, you will receive living cost and tuition fee funding for your intercalation year from Student Finance or the Student Awards Agency for Scotland.

If you intercalate after the fourth year and normally live in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland, you will be funded by the NHS, who will provide a non-means tested grant of £1,000. Some students may also be eligible for a means-tested bursary from the NHS. Your household income will affect the amount of NHS bursary you can receive. You will also be eligible for a reduced-rate non-means tested loan for living costs from the Student Loans Company.

If you intercalate after the fourth year and normally live in Scotland, you’ll receive living cost and tuition fee funding from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland in the usual way for the duration of your course, including the intercalation year.

Studying medicine or dentistry as your second undergraduate degree

If you're studying medicine or dentistry as your second undergraduate degree you will have to pay the tuition fees yourself for your intercalation year. A means-tested maintenance loan is available from Student Finance or Student Awards Agency for Scotland to help with your living costs in this year. If you intercalate after your fourth year of study, you will be only eligible for a reduced rate non-means tested maintenance loan.

Studying veterinary science as your first undergraduate degree

You will receive living cost and tuition fee funding from Student Finance or the Student Awards Agency for Scotland for the whole of your course, including the intercalation year.

Studying veterinary science as your second undergraduate degree

Students studying a second undergraduate degree will have to pay the tuition fees themselves for the intercalation year. There is a means-tested maintenance loan available from the government for living costs in this year.

Help with student finance applications

Sometimes students experience issues with their funding after intercalating. For that reason we recommend you use the PR1 paper form to apply to Student Finance. We provide a letter for you to include that explains the intercalation process.

1. Download and print the intercalation letter to send with your student finance application:

2022/23

• Intercalation letter - Medicine 2022-23 (PDF, 74kB)
• Intercalation letter - Dentistry 2022-23 (PDF, 74kB)
• Intercalation letter - Vet Science - 2022-23 (PDF, 73kB)

2023/24

• Intercalation letter for medicine 23-24 (PDF, 80kB)‌
• Intercalation letter for dentistry 23-24 (PDF, 78kB)‌
• Intercalation letter for vet science 23-24 (PDF, 81kB)

2. You should apply using the paper PR1 form and you can access the form and guidance from the GOV.UK website.

3. You can also pick up a hard copy PR1 form and an intercalation letter from the Student Funding Office.

Intercalating on to a postgraduate degree

Students who intercalate on to a postgraduate degree can apply for a postgraduate master's loan for the intercalation year. You will also be eligible to apply for Disabled Students’ Allowances, if required.

However, it is essential that your postgraduate award certificate is not conferred until after you have completed your undergraduate degree. You must get confirmation from the awarding institution that they are prepared to delay your graduation for the postgraduate award. We advise that you do this before you start your intercalating course.

If you do receive a postgraduate award certificate, you will not be eligible for any tuition fee loans when you return to your undergraduate course. If this happens, you will be liable to pay your tuition fees yourself for the remainder of your undergraduate course.