Confirmation of Student Attendance (COSA)

Funding is paid over the academic year in 3 instalments. Before you’re paid, your university needs to confirm you’re attending your course for each term. You will also have to confirm this for certain terms. This process is called Confirmation of Student Attendance (COSA).

Confirming your attendance

You’ll need to use your NHS LSF account to confirm your attendance.

You do not need to do anything yourself for term 1. You’ll receive your term 1 payment once your university confirms your attendance.

You’ll receive your term 2 and term 3 payments once both you and your university confirm your attendance. We’ll contact the email address on your NHS LSF account asking you to do this. Once you’ve confirmed your attendance status, your university will do the same after their COSA window opens.

COSA windows and payment dates

COSA windows are periods when you or your university need to confirm your attendance. If you both complete COSA on time, you'll get your payment on the scheduled payment date. If you or your university do not confirm by the last date of the university COSA window, you’ll not receive your payment on the scheduled date for that term. Once you have both confirmed your attendance, you’ll be paid on the next pay run.

2025 to 2026 academic year

If you start your course or your next academic year in September or October 2025, the main payment dates for the year are:

• Term 1 - 18 November 2025
• Term 2 - 17 March 2026
• Term 3 - 21 July 2026

If you start your course or your next academic year after September or October 2025, your payment dates are different.

You can download a PDF document which shows the student and university COSA windows for each term and cohort, as well as the scheduled payment dates.

COSA termly windows and payments 2025 to 2026 (PDF: 193 KB)