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 Master’s Loan
If you’re starting a master’s degree, you could get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan to help with course fees and living costs. You can get up to:
- £11,222 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2020
- £10,906 if your course started between 1 August 2019 and 31 July 2020
- £10,609 if your course started between 1 August 2018 and 31 July 2019
Postgraduate Doctoral Loan
If you’re starting a doctoral degree, you could get a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan to help with course fees and living costs. You can get up to:
- £26,445 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2020
- £25,700 if your course started between 1 August 2019 and 31 July 2020
- £25,000 if your course started between 1 August 2018 and 31 July 2019
It is not based on your income or your family’s and it’s paid directly to you.
Studentships
Studentships are postgraduate positions that have funding attached for fees, living expenses or both. They’re mainly funded by UK Research and Innovation.
Teacher training, social work, medical and healthcare courses
You can apply for funding for:
- Initial Teacher Training
- social work - through a social work bursary
- some medical or healthcare courses - through an NHS bursary
- most medical or healthcare courses - through a student loan
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
- 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.
