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Postgraduate Studentships
The meaning of studentship has varied over time, but nowadays it generally refers to places on postgraduate programs that come complete with funding (partial or complete) attached. Studentships are highly competitive as they often offer big financial rewards, so be prepared to go through a gruelling application process with little chance of success.
Most studentships are funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through its research councils, covering fees and a stipend for living costs. For 2025/26, the minimum stipend outside London is £20,780 per year, rising to £22,780 in London. While primarily for PhD or research masters, some advanced masters studentships exist, and opportunities are usually advertised via university sites.
Pros & cons of studentships
The pros are rather obvious in that you are given money that you can spend on either your tuition or your living costs. However studentships aren’t always perfect. Many studentships will demand that you spend the money in very specific ways, for example just on tuition or on books. While this can be good and help you budget, it can also be difficult if you receive four studentships to cover books but have no money to spend on your living costs. Check out what the conditions are on your potential studentships before applying.
Although it is less usual than with scholarships, studentships often also have conditions based on the applicants. They may be, for example, limited to people from a certain country or of a certain ethnic origin.
Be sure that you are eligible for a studentship before going through the rigmarole of applying.
Teaching for your studentship
Some studentships require that as part of the conditions for your funding, you teach or tutor undergraduates at your university. While some of you may relish this opportunity to get some experience teaching and working with young people, it can also be a drain on your time and resources. If your studentship involves a teaching element, then ensure that teaching or tutoring is something that you are completely happy to do and that it will not affect your work in any way.
Teaching commitments are recommended to be capped at six hours per week to protect research time, and they build valuable CV experience for academic careers.
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