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Application guide · Updated

Planning fellowship funding

Estimate the total cost of a training placement and distinguish salary, stipend, fees and restricted grant support.

Identify the financial arrangement

A fellowship can be a salaried appointment, a stipend-supported placement, a grant-funded visit or a self-funded attachment. Request the financial terms in writing. Establish the currency, payment schedule, gross amount, conditions and whether tuition or administration fees are separate.

RCS England notes that fellows in its senior clinical scheme are usually salaried but may have additional travel, accommodation and course costs. That describes its scheme; it does not establish the funding of a programme elsewhere.

Build a budget for the whole placement

  • Before arrival: applications, certification or translation, examinations, registration, immigration costs and travel.
  • During training: rent and deposits, transport, food, insurance, required courses and living costs for dependants where relevant.
  • After completion: return travel, credential documentation and any costs tied to the award's reporting requirements.
  • Allow for the interval before the first payment and changes in exchange rates. Keep uncertain items visible instead of entering zero.

Read grant restrictions before combining support

A travel award may fund specific project costs rather than a salary or the entire placement. For example, the RCS England Harry Morton award sets conditions on eligible expenditure and does not permit its funding to be used for personal salaries. Check each award's current rules, eligibility, dates and reporting requirements.

Ask whether the host can provide a written cost estimate, what happens if a start date moves, and which deposits or fees are refundable. Compare the total funding gap across offers, not only the headline stipend. Seek clarification about tax or employment treatment from the appropriate authority for the actual appointment.

Questions to take to the programme

  • Is the advertised amount salary, stipend or a restricted grant?
  • Which fees and living costs must I pay separately?
  • When is money paid, and what happens if the placement is delayed?

Official sources and scope

Sources checked on 8 October 2026. Institutional examples apply to their own programmes; requirements can change. These guides support educational decisions and do not determine an individual's regulatory or immigration eligibility.