If you've attended a placement as part of your course, you may be able to claim back:
- excess costs for travel relating to your placement, compared to your usual daily journey to university
- temporary accommodation you paid for to attend your placement
You can watch a short video with information about TDAE.
How to claim TDAE
You need to receive the Training Grant before you can claim TDAE.
An exception to this will apply to you if you're an eligible new or continuing undergraduate Pharmacy or Healthcare Science student. You may be able to claim reimbursement towards some of your practice placement travel or accommodation costs through TDAE from 1 September 2025, but you will not be able to claim any of the other NHS LSF allowances.
You can apply by signing into your NHS Learning Support Fund account, selecting the relevant academic year from the dashboard, and then the Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses tab.
You have a maximum of 6 months from the last date of the placement period you’re claiming for to submit your claim. Once we receive the claim from your university, we aim to process it within 20 working days.
You can find out more about completing a claim in our guidance booklet: ravel Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses - a guide for students and Universities 2025 to 2026 (PDF: 1.33MB)You can claim:
- 30 pence per mile for cycling
- 42 pence per mile for driving
- up to £82.50 per night for commercial accommodation - for example, a hotel or bed and breakfast
- up to £37.50 per night for non-commercial accommodation - for example, with a friend or relative (but not parents)
Travel Costs for Disabled Students on Placement
Current and previous recipients of Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) with a Study Needs Assessment that recommends taxi travel to and from placement, can claim back the Public Transport Equivalent Cost (PTEC) that is deducted from their DSA.
Example
If your DSA covers taxi travel but £3.00 per journey is deducted as a public transport cost, you can claim that £3.00 back through the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses (TDAE).
This means disabled students won’t be disadvantaged compared to non-disabled students when travelling directly from home to placement.
Eligibility
LSF recipients in receipt of DSA from the Student Loans Company who have a Study Needs Assessment that recommends taxis to travel to and from clinical placements.
How to claim
You can claim for this cost for any current or past placements, as this applies retrospectively.
If you are claiming for a past placement, you must have been in receipt of LSF and DSA from the Student Loans Company at the time of the placement.
For current or past claims, you will be asked to provide:
- evidence of your taxi costs
- the relevant DSA letter, which shows your recommended taxi journeys and the amount of the public transport equivalent cost to be deducted
The usual 6-month deadline for retrospective TDAE claims does not apply. However, all retrospective claims, in respect of past placements, need to be submitted by the end of the 2025-26 academic year (by 31 August 2026).
You can apply by signing into your NHS Learning Support Fund account. Select the relevant academic year from the dashboard, and then the Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses tab.