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Information about the Postgraduate Masters Loan from Student Finance England 

(International students are not eligible for this loan)

The Government, through the Student Loans Company (SLC) / Student Finance England, is offering Postgraduate Loans of up to £12,471 for eligible students who are studying a standalone taught or research Masters course of 180 credits, commencing between August 2024 and July 2025.

The loan is a contribution towards the costs associated with completing a Postgraduate Masters course and can be used towards tuition fees or living costs as you decide. The loan is not means tested and will be paid directly to you, the student, rather than the University.

As the loan is not sufficient to cover both your tuition fees and livings costs, it is important that you source funding in addition to the loan, to ensure you can cover all costs before starting your course.

Important Information

The University has to confirm your registration to the SLC to release your Masters Loan. However, due to the data checking that is required by the SLC, this confirmation can take up to three weeks from when you are fully registered with us for your course and from the start date of your course/year. Payment will not be made until after the start date the SLC have recorded for your course/year.

Where data provided by the SLC doesn't match that held on your University record, or the University identifies any other information affecting your eligibility, registration will not be confirmed until these issues are resolved.

All postgradutes should read through the information below.

Personal eligibility criteria

  • You must be a UK national, or have settled status with the UK, AND have been resident in the UK for three years before the first day of the academic year of your course (please note this date is 1 September, 1 January, 1 April or 1 July whichever precedes the actual start date of the course)
  • You must most recently have been resident in England and you must not have moved there from elsewhere in the UK and Islands solely for the purposes of attending the course
  • If you move straight from an undergraduate course to a postgraduate course you must apply to the original awarding authority. For example, if Student Finance Wales funded your undergraduate course you must apply to them for postgraduate funding, not Student Finance England. 
  • Postgraduate Masters education provision is a devolved matter for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and therefore those who are ordinarily resident in the Devolved Administrations may be eligible for different loans - see below:
  • Non-UK EU students with settled and pre-settled status may be eligible for the loan - please contact Student Finance England for clarification.
  • Eligibility for the amount of loan will not be based on a means test
  • If you already hold a Masters (or higher) level qualification you will not be eligible for the loan
  • If you have already studied on an undergraduate integrated Masters course, or a Postgraduate Masters course you may not be eligible for the Masters Loan
  • You must be under 60 years of age on the first day of the academic year of the course (eg if you start in September this date will be 1 September)
 

Course eligibility criteria

  • The Masters course you are studying must be a standalone, eligible course of 180 credits. Recognition of other Learning (ROL) or Accredited Prior Learning (APL or APEL) credits used towards the Masters course will make you ineligible for the loan, as you will no longer be studying 180 credits. The University will inform the SLC if ROL/APL/APEL is carried into the Masters course
  • You will be unable to take out the Postgraduate Loan if you are in receipt of a Bursary from the NHS or Social Work Bursary for your course; if you are 'topping up' a previous postgraduate qualification eg PGDip, or if you are transferring to a new course where you originally started on a Masters course before August 2016.
  • You can take out the loan for both full time courses of 1 or 2 years, and part time courses which take no longer than twice as long as the full time equivalent, e.g. 2 or 4 years. Where there is no full time equivalent course a part time course may be completed over 3 years; eg Vet Physiotherapy
  • Distance Learning courses are also eligible as long as you live in England while studying, but the course length outlined above also applies. If taking a part time distance learning course where there is a 1 year full time equivalent course, you must intend to complete over 2 years. If your intention is to take the course over 3-4 years it will make you ineligible for the loan. Please check with the School and the Funding & Financial Support Team if you are unsure if this applies to you
  • You will be able to apply online from May/June time at Gov - student finance and, if you took out loans for your undergraduate course, make sure you have your Customer Reference Number to hand. Paper forms will also be available to download
  • If, when you apply for funding, you are unable to find your course listed, please email the University to check it's eligibility via SLC-enquiries
 

How and when will I receive the loan?

Full time courses

  • Full time Masters courses are usually one year long, but can be over two years, eg Master of Social Work
  • If you are studying on a one year course you will receive the loan amount in three instalments during the academic year
  • The first instalment will be released when the University confirms your registration to the Student Loans Company; within 3 weeks of you being fully registered on your course
  • The second and third instalments will be paid on or just after the start of Term 2 and Term 3. Please check your payment notification from Student Finance
  • If your full time course is over two years the loan will be paid in six instalments over the two years
  • The University has to confirm your Registration to the SLC to release the payments to you in a similar way as for undergraduates. However, we also have to verify that the course information held by the SLC matches with the course you have commenced at the University, as well as other data checks. If these additional checks are incorrect the University is unable to confirm your registration until they have been amended.

 

Part time courses

  • If you are studying part time over 2 years, you will receive 50% of the loan in year one (in three instalments) and 50% of the loan in year two (in three instalments)
  • If you are studying part time over 4 years (where the full time course takes 2 years), you will receive 25% of the loan in year one (in three instalments) and 25% of the loan in subsequent years (each year paid in three instalments) 
  • If you are taking a part time course over 3 years (only allowed where there is no full time equivalent course) payments wil be made over the 3 years
  • You can apply for the loan up to 9 months from the first day of the final year of your course
 

 Information about interest and repayment

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

The loans offered and the eligiblity criteria are different to those from Student Finance England

Student Finance Wales

Student Awards Agency for Scotland

Student Finance Northern Ireland

 

Please note: If you move straight from an undergraduate course to a postgraduate course you must apply to the original awarding authority eg: If Student Finance Wales funded your undergraduate course you must apply to them for postgraduate funding.

Further funding information

If you are not eligible for the loan please ensure that before signing up for a course you investigate other funding available, for example through Research Councils, Studentships and charitable trusts. 

 More funding information for postgraduate courses 

Funding and Financial Support
Managing your money
Student Services