find your perfect postgrad program
Search our Database of 30,000 Courses

Refine courses

Posted Jan. 20, 2025

Why isn’t there a maintenance loan for masters students in England?

maintenance loan for postgraduate students

When studying at universities in the UK, domestic masters students do not receive a separate maintenance loan from their tuition fees loan in the same way as undergraduate students do. Instead, postgraduate students in the UK have access to a combined postgraduate loan.

This Postgraduate Masters Loan differs depending on whereabouts they come from in the UK.

Masters degree funding in the UK

This table shows the amounts currently available to postgraduate students from the different nations in the UK for the academic year 2024/2025.
 

Country

Details

England

£12,471 combined loan for tuition fees and living costs

Wales

£18,950 combined loan for tuition fees and living costs

Scotland

£7,000 tuition fees loan
£6,900 living costs loan

Northern Ireland

£6,500 tuition fees loan

 

In this article, we are focussing on postgraduate masters loans for students from England.

How much PG student funding can you get?

As a masters degree student in England, you are currently eligible to apply for up to £12,471 for your postgraduate loan, if your course started on or after 1st August 2024.

English Postgraduate Masters Loan – essential information

Eligibility

UK nationals who live in England
Students with EU settled status who are resident in England

Value

Up to £12,471 in 2024/25

Location

Any UK university

Repayment

6% of income over £21,000

 

When should you apply for a masters loan?

When applying for government funding for your masters degree in England, you will need to apply for the loan within nine months of the first day of the final academic year of your postgraduate course. This first day will depend on when your course starts.

Masters degree course start date

First day of the academic year

Between 1st August and 31st December

1st September

Between 1st January and 31st March

1st January

1st April and 30th June

1st April

1st July and 31at July

1st July

Source

The finer details

If you take out a postgraduate loan as a masters student, you will be charged interest on your loan from the day you receive your first payment, however you won’t need to start repaying any of your loan until your income is over a certain amount – this is currently £21,000 per year.

You will not be eligible to take out a Postgraduate Masters Loan if your masters degree is part of an integrated masters – in this instance you should apply for undergraduate funding from Student Finance England instead.

If you are studying PhD/doctoral degree, you should apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan instead.

Why are the maintenance costs and tuition fees combined in a postgraduate loan?

In England, the government masters loan is meant to cover both your masters degree tuition fees and postgraduate living costs, and students can direct the money they receive towards any aspect of their PG student living costs – tuition fees, student accommodation, books, etc.

One of the main reasons that these costs are covered under one loan is that it makes it a much simpler process – and because postgraduate students are almost always older than undergraduate students, they are considered to be more mature and responsible enough to manage this funding themselves, thereby ensuring their course fees and living costs are covered accordingly.

Providing separate maintenance loans for postgraduate students would significantly increase public spending on higher education.

Postgraduate students are further along their academic journey and in many cases, further along in their career too. This means they may also have some savings to rely on or even employer sponsorships to contribute towards the cost of their masters degree.

Masters degree students tend to have a better variety of means to support themselves whilst studying their course.

Postgraduate student loan – key facts

  • PG funding of £12,471 is available.
  • You can choose how you spend the money.
  • The postgraduate loan is not means tested.
  • The money is paid into your bank account in three instalments.
  • You don’t start repaying the loan until you have completed your course and are earning over £21,000.

Can you apply for additional funding as a masters student?

It may be necessary to apply for additional financial support whilst studying your masters degree at a UK university – and there are various other funding sources that you can explore.

Charities, foundations and trusts

Many organisations in the UK offer funds tailored to specific groups of students or postgraduate subject areas. For example, the Leverhulme Foundation is an independent charity the supports a diverse range of postgraduate scholars in the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences.

Scholarships and bursaries

Universities and private organisations offer scholarships and bursaries specifically for postgraduate study – check the funding pages of your preferred UK institutions to see what they have on offer. It is also a good idea to research into private organisations that offer scholarships and bursaries. Postgrad Solutions has five bursaries worth £2,000 each for students from anywhere in the world studying at any recognised university worldwide. This money can be used alongside other funding – find out more.

Employer sponsorship

If you are working full time in a career that is relevant to your postgraduate program, it may be possible to get financial support from your employer. For example, if you are working in business and finance and want to undertake an MBA program – this could be a great option for you.

Part-time work

Many postgraduate students work part time to help finance their studies – however it is important to ensure that this doesn’t impact on your studies. Some universities offer part-time work on campus, this is a good option, as your commute will be minimal and your employer is certain to be very considerate of the demands of a masters degree.

In conclusion

Although there is no specific maintenance loan for postgraduate students from England that are studying in the UK, masters students can apply for a repayable government-backed loan and use this to help fund their studies in the way that suits them best. Plus, as you can see from this article, there are plenty of options to help supplement this funding.

Related articles

Funding For Postgraduate Students In The UK

Postgraduate Loans

Ultimate Postgraduate Student Funding Guide

Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries

Leave a comment

All contributors must be over 16 year olds

By submitting your comment you agree to our privacy policy.

Categories