To ask the Minister of Health what tuition fee and other financial support is available to graduate-entry medical students.

Health and student finance are devolved matters. The financial support available to healthcare students varies across the regions of the UK, depending upon where the student is ordinarily resident. Policy reflects the resources available to each administration, and their assessment of workforce supply priorities.

The Education (Student Support) (No.2) Regulations (NI) 2009 (the Student Support Regulations), preclude Northern Ireland domiciled students who already hold a primary degree awarded by an institution in Northern Ireland or Great Britain from obtaining fee loans or maintenance grants.

This policy approach focuses our financial resources toward primary degree level, thereby allowing a greater number of students to benefit from third level study.