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Funding for postgraduate study
You can get funding for postgraduate study through loans, studentships, bursaries and grants - you might also get help from your employer.
Search for postgraduate funding on the Scholarship Search or Prospects websites.
Postgraduate Loan for master’s degrees
If you start a full-time or part-time master’s course after 1 August 2016 you can apply for a Postgraduate Loan. You’ll be able to borrow up to £10,000 to pay your fees and help with living costs.
You’re eligible if you:
- are under 60
- ordinarily live in England
- don’t already have a master’s degree or higher qualification
It doesn’t depend on personal or family income.
Find out more about the Postgraduate Loan.
Studentships
Studentships are postgraduate positions that have funding attached for fees, living expenses or both. They’re mainly funded by Research Councils UK.
Teacher training, social work, medical and healthcare courses
You can apply for funding for:
- Initial Teacher Training
- social work - through a social work bursary
- most medical or healthcare courses - through an NHS bursary
Graduate-entry medical students can also get support from Student Finance England for fees charged over £3,465.
Charities and trusts
Charities and trusts sometimes provide grants, often for students from poorer backgrounds or those who’ve achieved academic excellence. Find out more at your local library in these publications:
- the Educational Grants Directory
- the Charities Digest
- the Grants Register
- the Directory of Grant Making Trusts
You can also use the Family Action grant search.
Learned societies
Societies sometimes offer funding for postgraduate or postdoctoral research. They include:
- the British Academy (for humanities and social sciences - postdoctorate only)
- the Royal Academy of Engineering (for engineering)
- the Royal Society (for science - postdoctorate only)
Other help
You might be able to get funding from:
- an individual - sometimes people donate awards to help postgraduates (these are usually offered through your university or college)
- your employer - they might sponsor you if the course is relevant to your job
- a Disabled Students’ Allowance
- a Professional and Career Development Loan
- the Student Awards Agency for Scotland if you’re from Scotland
Funding applications usually have to be in by the spring before you start studying in the autumn.