Postgraduate funding

• Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
• Medical Research Council (MRC)
• Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
• Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
• Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

They award about 6,000 grants or 'studentships' each year to universities to fund students undertaking PhD research.

If you get a studentship, in 2024-25 you’ll get annual support of £4,786 (minimum) towards your tuition fees and a living cost grant of £19,237 (you may get more if you study in London). You don’t have to repay this.

You may also be able to access extra funding to attend conferences, do fieldwork, undertake research overseas and more – but this will depend on the research organisation funding your training.

To get the funding, you must be accepted onto a PhD programme where funding is available. You then apply to your university for a studentship. If you’re unsuccessful, you’ll need an alternate means of financing your studies. Application deadlines vary, so be sure to check these. As well as a good funding application and research proposal, you’ll need good academic credentials. Normally a 2:1 degree or above is expected, and you may also need additional experience in your field of study or a master’s qualification.

Since August 2021 international students have also been eligible to apply for research council funding. The tuition fee award is at the UK rate and international fees may be higher, but international students will be given flexibility to fund the difference from other sources. EU nationals starting a course after August 2021 will be treated as international students unless they are a UK resident registered with the EU Settlement Scheme or an Irish citizen.

Students can’t get research council funding if they also have other UK government funding (other than Disabled Students’ Allowance, if eligible). Full-time work isn’t allowed but part-time work often supplements PhD student income, particularly in graduate teaching or research assistant roles (see below).

Funding for teaching, social work and healthcare

The section below is for UK residents. Student loan finance is from the nation where you live but some incentives may also depend on the nation in which you study.

If you want to become a qualified teacher, postgraduate students are eligible for undergraduate student finance (loans) to study a PGCE in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, or a PGDE in Scotland. Financial incentives may be available for certain subjects.

If you want to become a social worker, you can get a bursary for postgraduate-level courses in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

If you're interested in Medicine, Dentistry or another healthcare area, you may get funding from NHS bursaries or undergraduate student finance/loans. 

If you’re an international student, you should first investigate funding opportunities in your own country and contact your local British Council office.

The UK Government funds Chevening Scholarships for international postgraduates from eligible countries. These prestigious scholarships are very competitive (only one in 25 applicants is successful) and are aimed at students whose studies will enable them to take part in development work in their home country. Applications open in August and close at the start of November. Successful applicants are announced the following June, with awards paid out in September/October.

There’s also a range of Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships for students from certain Commonwealth countries who take an approved course at a participating UK university.

GREAT Scholarships offer funding towards your tuition fees at a range of partnership UK universities, if you are from one of 14 eligible countries. Check with your uni which countries they have scholarships for. Applications open in October. Find more details about GREAT Scholarships on the British Council website.

Marshall Scholarships are available to eligible high-performing students from the United States for courses that lead to a master's or PhD qualification.

As an international student, you’re unlikely to be offered funding in the form of a teaching or research assistantship from your university, especially for a taught postgraduate course. However, at PhD level you might be able to apply for an externally funded scholarship. International students can also apply for research council funding from August 2021 (see above for details).

Postgraduate scholarships

Many universities offer postgraduate scholarships for students, often in particular subjects. You generally need to have achieved good grades at undergraduate study, whether you’re a UK or international student. Awards may come in the form of a tuition fee reduction rather than cash. Find the details and links to uni scholarship pages on our university profiles.

As well as university scholarships, there may be charitable or educational awards available.

Alumni discounts and loyalty schemes

If you’re considering postgraduate study at your former university, it’s worth seeing if they offer a discount or reduction on the tuition fees for graduates. Sometimes a time limit may apply – for example, you may need to move straight from undergraduate to master’s-level study. Discounts may also be restricted to certain subjects or levels of study.

In some cases, loyalty discounts are available to friends and family of alumni. Here, ‘family’ generally means a sibling or close relative.

The above will also depend on whether university alumni discounts are for UK or international students. Students whose study is sponsored or who receive public money towards their postgraduate course are unlikely to be eligible.

Employer sponsorship or part-time work

If you work, your employer might sponsor you to take a part-time postgraduate course, especially if the qualification will help you progress at work.

Or you could fund your course by working part-time, as almost half of all postgraduate students do. Most universities know that many students need to take paid work during their studies but recommend a limit of 10–15 hours a week during term time. Not all universities allow you to work during your course.

Graduate teaching and research assistants

Some postgraduates, particularly PhD students, get jobs as graduate teaching or research assistants to help fund their courses. This can involve a lot of work – marking essays, giving lectures, taking seminars and acting as demonstrators in laboratory classes – and pay is by the hour. But it does enable postgraduates to get valuable teaching experience.

You should be careful to ensure the hours you work for a part-time job are clearly agreed in advance, and adhered to by the department, to give you enough time for your PhD.

Master’s degree apprenticeships

In England, a degree apprenticeship could be an option for you even if you already have a degree. Graduate degree apprenticeships are available in a wide range of vocations. Examples include teacher training, training as a solicitor, retraining as a nurse, or business roles like IT or management.

There are a few differences from taking a postgraduate university degree:

• You’re employed as an apprentice, learning on the job as well as studying
• You won’t have to pay any tuition fees
• You get paid
• You’ll need to find an apprenticeship, much as you would a job
• Apprenticeship qualifications are vocational and specific to an occupation

If you’re seeking academic study, this may not be the route for you. However, you’ll still learn at a uni and will spend around 20% of your time on your studies.

While an apprenticeship may require a related degree, it can’t be in the same subject as the apprenticeship qualification.

Level 7 apprenticeships are at master’s level, and generally take 24 months to complete. You must have the right to work in England.  If you’re employed, you could see if your employer could offer a degree apprenticeship.

Employers may advertise apprenticeships anytime, so you must keep alert for available opportunities.

Researching all your options

Tuition fees for postgraduate courses depend on factors such as the institution you choose, type and level of course, and whether you’re a UK or international student. Tuition fees for courses that run more than a year may increase annually, in part due to inflation. MBAs are particularly expensive at high-ranked universities.

While some students may have to choose a postgraduate course at an institution close to home, do thoroughly research the alternatives. Distance learning or online courses can be taken wherever you live, and part-time postgraduate courses or research master’s may be feasible as a commuter student to a university some distance away. Tuition fees vary widely and even if you can get a postgraduate loan or funding, it makes sense to keep your costs low, so long as the course and university meet your requirements.