The 2026 Pharmacist Support Bursary Scheme has opened for applications.
The profession’s independent charity has announced the launch of the 2026 Student Bursary Scheme with continued support from Cencora Alliance Healthcare, a partnership now in its third year. The scheme, which closes on April 20, offers awards of £3,000 or £5,000 to MPharm students entering their final year in September 2026 who have experienced an unexpected challenge that has had both a personal and financial impact since starting their degree. Since the scheme began in 2014, and up to 2025, 103 bursaries have been awarded, totalling £332,000, helping students stay on their courses, complete their degrees, and move forward into the profession.
Demand for support continues to grow. In the most recent scheme year, all 28 fully accredited pharmacy schools in the UK agreed to take part, with 88 applications received from students across 24 universities.
Danielle Hunt, Chief Executive of Pharmacist Support (pictured) commented: “Students are the future of the profession, and some face unexpected hardship that puts their studies, wellbeing, and confidence at risk. The bursary scheme is about more than financial support – it’s about belief, reassurance, and helping students stay the course. We are incredibly grateful to Cencora Alliance Healthcare for standing alongside us for a third year and helping us make this life-changing support possible.”
Marie Evans, SVP and Managing Director at Cencora Alliance Healthcare, added: “Pharmacy students are facing increasing pressures, and we believe it’s vital to help remove barriers that could prevent talented individuals from completing their training and entering the profession.”
The impact of the scheme is clear, with one student, Sofia*, sharing her experience: “I was facing a set of circumstances that would have been impossible to overcome without financial assistance. I am a single mother of two babies, and I lived on one side of this country, and my university was on the other side. I had just gotten divorced and following that, I became homeless and was really struggling financially and even emotionally. I had no idea how I was going to make it work financially.
“This bursary has relieved so much of the burden that I was carrying alone on my shoulders. I don’t know how I would have been able to finish my degree without the bursary and therefore I was facing the very real and heartbreaking possibility of being left without the qualifications I needed to become a pharmacist. As far as the impact it has had, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this bursary has altered the trajectory of my future and of course the futures of my two toddlers. They will get to see their mother graduate this summer thanks to this bursary. Isn’t that amazing?”
Full details, eligibility criteria, and application guidance can be found at: https://pharmacistsupport.org/i-need-help-managing-my/student-experience/bursary-scheme/
