UK postgraduate funding
Fund your postgraduate studies
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Fund your postgraduate studies
UK postgraduate funding
Studying for a postgraduate degree is an investment in your future - worth an extra £200,000 in lifetime earnings compared to graduates.
The knowledge, skills and experience you gain will help you stand out in the highly competitive graduate jobs market, launching you on your career path or taking your existing career in a new direction.
We appreciate that finance is likely to be one of your key considerations in choosing to study for a postgraduate qualification.
It's only natural to wonder how you will pay your tuition fees, living expenses and other costs associated with studying at university.
Government funding
One way to fund your postgraduate studies is through government funding.
You can get government funding for postgraduate study through loans, studentships, bursaries or grants.
Eligibility criteria, application deadlines and terms and conditions apply, so read below for government funding details.
PGCE funding 2024/25
General information
Home fee status students studying for a tuition fee-based Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) that leads to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) can apply for two types of funding and could receive both depending on their circumstances.
- Department for Education (DfE) tax-free bursary or scholarship for specific subjects only.
In languages and physics, trainees starting courses in the academic year 2023/24 and 2024/25 will not need to be eligible for Student Finance to be eligible for a PGCE bursary or scholarship.
In all other eligible subjects, trainees are only eligible for a PGCE bursary or scholarship if they are entitled to support under the Student Finance criteria.
For more information, please visit the Get Into Teaching website.
- Student Finance funding: Tuition Fee Loan, Maintenance Loan, Discretionary Grants
Home fee status students studying a tuition fee based PGCE programme that leads to a QTS can apply for the same funding as undergraduate Home fee status students. This includes a Tuition Fee Loan and/or Maintenance Loan and Discretionary Grants from Student Finance where applicable. Eligibility for Student Finance loans and grants depends on nationality, residency, age, previous study, as well as the university and the course studied.
For more information on Student Finance eligibility please visit Student Finance for undergraduates: New full-time students.
Applications for Student Finance loans and grants can be made online via Apply online for student finance.
International Trainees
DfE recently announced that the International Relocation Payment (IRP) will not be available to teacher trainees from July 2024. International trainees starting their PGCE programme in September 2024 may therefore be only eligible for PGCE bursary / scholarship in Physics or Modern Languages (German, French and Spanish only) if they meet the eligibility criteria.
How to apply for PGCE Bursaries or Scholarships
September 2024 trainees; please submit the completed and signed PGCE Bursary application form 2024/25 via email to ittfunding@uel.ac.uk. Awarded bursaries and scholarships are paid in ten monthly instalments directly into trainees’ UK bank accounts, starting in October 2024.
Please refer to the PGCE Guidance Notes 2024/25 for information on eligibility, payment details and implications of leaving your programme early with regards to your PGCE bursary/scholarship.
For September 2025 trainees; updated PGCE bursary application form and guidance notes will be available here from June 2025.
Scholarship applicants should apply to the relevant scholarship awarding body. Details are available via Get Into Teaching. If awarded a scholarship, please email a copy of your scholarship award confirmation letter/email, along with the above PGCE bursary application form to ittfunding@uel.ac.uk as certain eligibility criteria will need to be checked.
Withdrawals / Deferrals
Trainees must inform ittfunding@uel.ac.uk as soon as they decide to defer/withdraw from their PGCE studies to prevent overpayment of bursaries/scholarships. In case of overpayments, an invoice will be raised for the full overpaid amount, and trainees will be contacted via our Credit Control team to arrange repayment. Trainees must promptly repay this overpayment.
Further Information
For further information and advice on PGCE bursaries you can email ittfunding@uel.ac.uk or phone +44 (0)20 8223 4444 and ask to speak with a SMART Advisor (Monday – Friday, 10am-2pm).
Postgraduate loans
Get up to £12,471 to fund your Masters Programme in academic year 2024/25 with a Postgraduate Master's Loan.
Loan Summary
Student Finance England provides a loan for postgraduate Masters study. The Postgraduate Master's Loan will provide non means-tested loans of up to £12,471 to taught and research masters students. It will be paid to students as a contribution towards tuition fees, living costs and other course costs.
Applications are made directly through Student Finance England.
Eligibility Summary
Loans will be available to UK Nationals, and individuals with settled status in the UK, who:
- have been ordinarily resident in England and have lived in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, for three years prior to the first day of the first academic year of their course
- are most recently resident in England
- have not moved to England from elsewhere in the UK and Islands solely for the purpose of attending the course
Students may be eligible if they are an EU national or they have residency status. For further details on eligibility, visit Student Finance England.
Brexit and Postgraduate Loan eligibility
If you're an EU, EEA or Swiss national beginning a Masters in England from August 2021 onwards, you will only be eligible for a postgraduate loan if you have EU settled or pre-settled status.
In order to apply for EU settled status, you would need to have been living in the UK before 31 December 2020.
If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national studying a Masters in academic year 2020/21, you will be eligible for UK student finance support for the duration of your programme.
For further details please visit Student Finance England.
Postgraduate loan for two year Masters courses
If you're studying for two years, your loan will be divided equally across the two year duration of your programme.
Please note that tuition fees need to be paid in accordance with UEL's Fees Policy.
Social work bursaries
Award Summary
If you have been accepted for one of our postgraduate social work courses, you can apply for a bursary from the NHS.
Successful applicants will get help with tuition and living costs. You may be able to receive other allowances if, say, you care for a dependent adult, you are a parent, or if you have a disability.
Eligibility Summary
You must be studying a college-based social work course on the NHS-approved list. You must not already hold a higher education social work qualification, including the Diploma in Social Work (DipSW).
You must have been resident in the UK for the previous three years and to have settled status in the UK.
You cannot apply for a social work bursary if you are receiving support from a social care employer, such as paid time off to allow you to attend your studies, or payment of all or part of your tuition fees.
How do I apply?
You can apply for the bursary at the NHSBSA website.
Doctoral loan
A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course, such as a PhD.
You'll be able to apply for funding for the 2024/25 academic year from summer 2024.
You have to repay your Postgraduate Doctoral Loan at the same time as any other student loans you have. You'll be charged interest from the day you get the first payment.
You can also get extra support if you have a disability.
Further information about eligibility visit gov.uk/doctoral-loan
External funding
There are a number of external organisations and research councils that offer financial help to postgraduate students. Please see the list below for additional support options.
- Royal Institute of British Architects
- Professional and Career Development Loans
- Trust Funding
- Masters Degree Funding
- Economic and Social Research Council
- Arts and Humanities Research Council
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
- Medical Research Council
- Natural Environment Research Council
- Science and Technology Facilities Council
Please note that the University of East London is not responsible for the content of these external sites and is not associated in any way with the funding schemes and their application processes.
Employer sponsorship and self-funding
If you are at work, your employer may sponsor you to do a postgraduate course. Under this arrangement, your employer agrees to pay, or contribute towards your tuition fees for a course that's directly relevant and beneficial to them. This might include accountancy or technical roles such as planning and engineering.
Most people studying for postgraduate qualifications are self-funding and gain their qualification through a combination of paid work and study.
UEL funding and scholarships
At the University of East London, we offer a generous package of scholarships, bursaries and discounts to help you offset some of the costs. The funding is available for home (UK) students, and you may be eligible to apply.
Early payment discount
If you're starting your postgraduate research course in the academic year 2024/25, you can save five per cent on your course fees by paying them in full.
Pay your tuition fees early before the deadline, we will give you a five per cent discount on your tuition fees. Please note that the early payment discount deadline will be two weeks before the start of teaching.
Alumni discount
We also offer an alumni discount for those who studied an undergraduate course with us. If you progress directly with no gap year, you may receive a discount of up to 25 per cent, otherwise, you will receive a 10 per cent discount.
Postgraduate funding FAQs
Who can I talk to about student finance?
At UEL we have a dedicated Student Money, Advice and Rights Team (SMART). They provide advice and information on funding, bursaries and scholarships, managing your money and much more.
If you are not sure of your entitlement, would like help applying for any of the funding or would like advice regarding any other student finance matter, please call +44 (0)20 8223 4444 or log in to My Portal, ensuring you have your login details (email and
Is there help for postgraduate students with disabilities?
Once you have been accepted by UEL for a postgraduate course of study, you can ask our Disability and Dyslexia Service for advice on whether you qualify for the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA).
Can I pay my fees in instalments?
Yes, subject to our credit control procedures. For further information please contact our Credit Control team at creditcontrol@uel.ac.uk or call +44 (0)20 8223 7333.
My employer is sponsoring me. How do I notify you of this?
When you enrol at UEL, you need to tell us how your fees will be paid. If your employer is sponsoring you, select the option on UEL Direct, 'I expect to receive support from a commercial sponsor'.
Both you and your sponsor should complete the Sponsorship Form and then send it to our Credit Control team.
Alternatively, you can ask your sponsor to send a letter to Credit Control on headed paper, stating the amount of their sponsorship.
Once Credit Control receives either of these documents, your enrolment will be complete.
I am an international postgraduate student. Can I receive any financial support?
Check out what financial support is available on our International Fees and Funding page or speak to one of our international advisors.
Contact us
For more information, or for advice and guidance, contact our Student Money and Advice Team (SMART), who will be happy to help.
Phone: +44 (0)20 8223 4444
Web: login to My Portal, ensuring you have your login details (email and
Advice and Guidance
Our Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) is on hand to help you with any questions you may have before and during your time as a student.
Get advice and guidance from SMART