The abolition of the bursaries that previously paid the tuition fees of students doing a first nursing degree, as well as providing them with maintenance grants, was one of the worst decisions taken by the Cameron government. Applications from first-time students for nursing degrees fell from 52,740 in 2016 to 39,665 in 2019. The fall in the number of mature applicants between 2016 and 2018 was even steeper at 40％.

The word “bursaries” most probably means________.