Funding options for postgraduate
study are significantly different from those available for undergraduate study.
The options for funding your study will be linked to the type of postgraduate
course you wish to undertake.
The Student Finance England Postgraduate Master’s Loan, for example, is a funding
source now relied upon by a large proportion of students pursuing master’s
level study. PhD students are usually
funded through the Research Councils. Student Finance England also provide a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan. In some instances, students are funded by
their employer and others will support themselves through savings, income from employment or family help. Part-time study may be a good solution for those who intend to work alongside their course.
For further information on Student Finance England support for postgraduate study, please see: Master's and Doctoral Loan.
Postgraduate students do not normally receive the same statutory financial support package as undergraduate students; however, there are some exceptions which include:
Please see our pages on Funding your Postgraduate Study for more information and also read our guide to Funding Your Postgraduate Study.
Financial preparation
Fees for postgraduate programmes are set annually and
vary for different programmes. Please visit the Fees and Funding pages for information on postgraduate tuition
fees and Scholarships/Discounts available. Your offer letter will confirm your fee liability and any
discounts applied.
The Welfare, Immigration and Funding Team are here
to advise on your financial preparations to join a postgraduate programme and these pages aim to
support you in this process. As the options for funding your postgraduate study differ
depending on the programme you undertake (see information/links above), planning your
finances needs to be a key part of your preparation for your course.
The UK national regions have their own responsibility for
higher education student funding. Students normally resident in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland can find more information about relevant postgraduate funding support (including detailed residency criteria) on
the links below:
Student Awards Agency Scotland
Student Finance Northern Ireland
Student Finance Wales
Please see our Financial Support page for information on the ways you can get in
touch with the Welfare, Immigration and Funding Team.
