If you’re thinking about starting a postgraduate course, you may be able to apply for Government funding to help you with your living and tuition fees.
The amount of postgraduate funding available to you will depend on where you are ordinarily resident before you start your postgraduate course.
Please note postgraduate students are NOT awarded a separate Tuition Fee Loan. It will therefore be your responsibility to pay your tuition fees, which can be paid in one lump sum or in instalments during the academic year. Details of our payment methods.
More funding information if you are considering a PGCE course.
To find out if you are eligible for postgraduate funding, click on the region which you are normally resident in:
2024-25 Postgraduate Loan & additional support for Welsh domiciled students
- From 1 August 2024, students ordinarily resident in Wales may be entitled to loan as a contribution to costs while studying a postgraduate Master’s degree course.
- The total support available to an eligible student £18,950 .
- Part-time study – support is allocated over the number of years the course is studied. Support is capped in each academic year; for example, £18,950 for a one year course, £9,475 per year for a course lasting two years and £4,737.50 per year for a course lasting four years. Full-time courses between one and two years are eligible for support. Part-time courses of up to four years are eligible for support.
The on-line application is open
2025-26 Postgraduate Loan & additional support for Welsh domiciled students
- From 1 August 2024, students ordinarily resident in Wales may be entitled to a loan as a contribution to costs while studying a postgraduate Master’s degree course.
- The total support available to an eligible student £19,255.
- Postgraduate students cannot apply for a seperate tuition fees loan.
- Part-time study – support is allocated over the number of years the course is studied. Support is capped in each academic year; for example, £19,255 for a one year course, £9,628 per year for a course lasting two years and £4,814 per year for a course lasting four years. Full-time courses between one and two years are eligible for support. Part-time courses of up to four years are eligible for support
- Application forms for 2025-26 will be made available from June 2025
2024-25 Postgraduate Doctoral Loan (Wales)
- From 1 August 2023, students ordinarily resident in Wales and those from the EU studying at a Welsh institution may be entitled to support. This can help with course fees and living costs while you study.
- Eligible students will be able to borrow up to a maximum of £28,655 as a contribution to costs, over the period of the doctoral programme. Courses can be full or part-time and be between three and eight years in length.
- Payments are made in tranches across the number of years of the doctoral programme.
- Those in receipt of studentship funding from any of the seven UK Research Councils (whether full or fees only) will not be eligible to receive a loan.
- Those receiving other direct forms of Government support for maintenance and fees costs, including any salary contributions or fees provided by the NHS for the purposes of doctoral study, and the KESS 2 scheme, will not be eligible either.
2025-26 Postgraduate Doctoral Loan (Wales)
- From 1 August 2025, students ordinarily resident in Wales and those from the EU studying at a Welsh institution may be entitled to support. This can help with course fees and living costs while you study.
- Eligible students will be able to borrow up to a maximum of £29,130 as a contribution to costs, over the period of the doctoral programme. Courses can be full or part-time and be between three and eight years in length.
- Payments are made in tranches across the number of years of the doctoral programme.
- Those in receipt of studentship funding from any of the seven UK Research Councils (whether full or fees only) will not be eligible to receive a loan.
- Those receiving other direct forms of Government support for maintenance and fees costs, including any salary contributions or fees provided by the NHS for the purposes of doctoral study, and the KESS 2 scheme, will not be eligible either.
Disabled Student’s Grant
Postgraduate students, studying full time or part time, may be eligible for a grant to assist with additional expenditure which the student is obliged to incur as a direct result of disability. It is not means-tested or pro-rated based on the intensity of study. The maximum amount of grant in the 2025/26 academic year will be £34,000 and covers the following areas of expenditure:
- Non-medical personal helper;
- Major items of specialist equipment; and
- Other disability related expenditure 4
A separate uncapped travel allowance will also be available for students who incur additional study related travel costs due to disability.
For further information about DSA.
2024-25 Postgraduate Loan (England)
- From 1 August 2024, students ordinarily resident in England, may be entitled to a loan as a contribution to costs while studying a postgraduate Master’s degree course.
- The total support available to an eligible student commencing their studies after 1st August 2024 is £12,471.
- Part-time study – support is allocated over the number of years the course is studied. Support is capped in each academic year; for example, £6,235.50 for a course lasting two years
- Full-time courses between one and two years are eligible for support. Part-time courses of up to four years are eligible for support.
- The on-line application is now open.
2024-25 Postgraduate Doctoral Loan (England)
Students starting a full-time or part-time postgraduate Doctoral course such as a PhD may be entitled to a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan to help with course fees and living costs while you study.
- Eligible students will be able to borrow up to a maximum of £29,390 as a contribution to costs, over the period of the doctoral programme. Courses can be full or part-time and be between three and eight years in length.
- Payments are made in tranches across the number of years of the doctoral programme.
- Those in receipt of studentship funding from any of the seven UK Research Councils (whether full or fees only) will not be eligible to receive a loan.
- Those in receipt of studentship funding from any of the Seven UK Research Councils (whether full or fees only)
- Students receiving any other direct forms of Government support for maintenance and fees costs, including any salary contributions or fees provided by the NHS for the purposes of doctoral study, and the KESS 2 scheme, will not be eligible either.
More information about the Post Graduate Doctoral Loan.
2025-26 Postgraduate Loan (England)
- From 1 August 2025, students ordinarily resident in England, may be entitled to a loan as a contribution to costs while studying a postgraduate Master’s degree course.
- The total support available to an eligible student is £12,858.
- Part-time study – support is allocated over the number of years the course is studied. Support is capped in each academic year; for example, £6,429 for a course lasting two years
- Full-time courses between one and two years are eligible for support. Part-time courses of up to four years are eligible for support.
- The on-line application for 2025-26 will open in June 2025
2025-26 Postgraduate Doctoral Loan (England)
Students starting a full-time or part-time postgraduate Doctoral course such as a PhD may be entitled to a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan to help with course fees and living costs while you study.
- Eligible students will be able to borrow up to a maximum of £30,301 as a contribution to costs, over the period of the doctoral programme. Courses can be full or part-time and be between three and eight years in length.
- Payments are made in tranches across the number of years of the doctoral programme.
- Those in receipt of studentship funding from any of the seven UK Research Councils (whether full or fees only) will not be eligible to receive a loan.
- Those in receipt of studentship funding from any of the Seven UK Research Councils (whether full or fees only)
- Students receiving any other direct forms of Government support for maintenance and fees costs, including any salary contributions or fees provided by the NHS for the purposes of doctoral study, and the KESS 2 scheme, will not be eligible either.
- The on-line application for 2025-26 will open in June 2025
Disabled Student’s Grant
Postgraduate students, studying full time or part time, may be eligible for a grant to assist with additional expenditure which the student is obliged to incur as a direct result of disability. It is not means-tested or pro-rated based on the intensity of study. The maximum amount of grant in the 2025/26 academic year will be £27,783 and covers the following areas of expenditure:
- Non-medical personal helper;
- Major items of specialist equipment; and
- Other disability related expenditure 4
A separate uncapped travel allowance will also be available for students who incur additional study related travel costs due to disability.
Further information about DSA .
Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loan (Northern Ireland)
Details of the funding package available to student starting their studies in September 2025 have not yet been released.
Students from Northern Ireland who started their studies after the 1 August 2018 can currently apply for up to £6,500 towards the cost of their postgraduate tuition fee.
For full details please check the Student Finance NI website.