SFE regulations state that students are ineligible for a postgraduate Masters loan if they have already received a loan from a UK authority towards a previous postgraduate Master’s course.

This has disadvantaged students on integrated Master’s courses with undergraduate funding who have transferred onto the three-year undergraduate version of their course prior to commencing their postgraduate studies. The regulations have traditionally meant that they have not then been able to go on to successfully apply for a Master’s loan for a separate postgraduate degree because they were already considered to have received funding for a degree that contained a Master’s element.

The Department for Education has now clarified how these regulations should be applied. Where a student is on an integrated Master’s, and transfers to the three-year undergraduate course, they will still be eligible for a postgraduate Masters loan from SFE for future study.

Please note where a student has accessed a postgraduate Master’s loan under UK legislation, and does not successfully complete their course, they will remain ineligible for another postgraduate Master’s loan for a further course unless they can demonstrate a compelling personal reason for not completing the course.

For more information about student loans, visit the Student Finance England website or contact the University’s Funding & Financial Support team for advice