uk phd loan

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• Education and learning
• Student finance

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.

There’s different funding if you normally live in Wales . Moving somewhere to study does not count as normally living there.

You can also get extra support if you have a disability .

You will not be eligible for an Adult Dependants’ Grant, a Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance from Student Finance if you’re studying a doctoral course.

When you can apply

You can now apply for funding for the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

When you repay your loan

You’ll have to start repaying your loan when your income is over a certain amount (the ‘threshold’ amount).

You’ll be charged interest from the day you get the first payment.

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Studentships and doctoral training

Get a studentship to fund your doctorate.

UKRI studentships offer funding for doctoral research. They also offer you access to training, networking and development opportunities to help you build a research and innovation career.

Our expectations for research organisations, supervisors and students are set out in the statement of expectations for doctoral training .

You could get:

• a minimum stipend of £19,237 per year for your living costs, which is paid to you in regular instalments
• support for your tuition fees (minimum £4,786 per year)

The stipend is usually non-taxable and does not need to be paid back. Some research organisations may offer more if you study in London, or they or one of their collaborators might decide to top up the payment. This will be outlined in the studentship advert from the research organisation.

We normally pay the support for tuition fees directly to your research organisation.

The levels given here are for the academic year 2024 to 2025. UKRI’s approach to doctoral stipend and fee levels will be reviewed through the  new deal for postgraduate research .

Additional support for your doctoral studies

As a UKRI-funded doctoral student, you may be able to access additional funding to cover the cost of other related training and development opportunities.

This could include:

• conference attendance
• language training
• overseas research visits
• internships or placements with a non-academic partner

The availability of support will depend on the research organisation and the training grants they have on offer. You should contact the research organisation you are interested in applying to, to find out what you could get.

Extra support if you have a disability

If you have a disability, you may be entitled to a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) on top of your studentship.

You should speak to your research organisation’s disability advisor to assess your needs. They can help put the right support in place, including a DSA application if necessary. You cannot claim DSA directly from UKRI.

DSA helps to cover the cost of any additional support that a person studying for a doctorate might need as a result of a disability, mental health problem or specific learning difficulty.

The allowance covers:

• non-medical personal assistance
• specialist equipment
• extra travel costs
• general expenses

Find out more about DSA in our framework .

If you are a research organisation you can download claim forms and guidance for DSA .

Who can apply

Any prospective doctoral student wishing to study at a UK research organisation, including prospective international students, can apply for a UKRI studentship.

All UKRI-funded doctoral students will be eligible for the full award, both the stipend to support living costs, and home-level fees at the UK research organisation rate.

How to find opportunities

Many UK research organisations offer some form of studentship funding from UKRI. These opportunities will depend on the subject you want to study and will normally be advertised by the research organisations.

Research organisations may have additional opportunities that do not involve UKRI. UKRI supports around 20% of all UK-based postgraduate researchers. You should speak to the research organisation you are interested in to find out what studentships are available.

You could also consider using a specialist website like   FindaPhD  to look for opportunities.

When to apply

Research organisations set their own deadlines for applications.

Many open for applications early in the academic year and close in January or February. This is not a hard and fast rule. It is important that you check the deadlines for the research organisation where you want to study.

How to apply

You cannot apply to UKRI for a studentship. You must contact the research organisation you are interested in studying with and use their application process.

For doctoral students who are already studying with a studentship, there are opportunities to get additional funding to support placements that are separate from your doctorate.  Find training and development opportunities .

Last updated: 14 February 2024

This is the website for UKRI: our seven research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Let us know if you have feedback or would like to help improve our online products and services .

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PhD loans 2024

PhD loans are available in 2024/25 to help Doctoral students living in England or Wales pay for their course fees and living expenses

PhD loans at a glance

• Worth up to £29,390 for 2024/25.
• For UK nationals resident in England or Wales.
• Study at any UK university that awards PhDs.
• Repayments combined with Masters loans .

How much can I borrow?

With these government-backed postgraduate Doctoral loans, you can borrow any amount up to £28,673 if your course started between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024, or £28,673 if it starts on or after 1 August 2024.

PhD loans are not means-tested, so you can apply for the full amount regardless of your financial background. Also, the loan can be used however you like - to cover fees, other study-related costs or to help with your living expenses.

If you have a disability, you may be entitled to additional support in the form of Disabled Students' Allowances .

Am I eligible for a PhD loan?

• be a UK or Irish national or have settled/pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme 
• be ordinarily resident in England
• have lived in the UK, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for three years before starting the course
• be under the age of 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course
• not already hold a PhD or equivalent qualification
• not be receiving a Research Council studentship (including fees-only), NHS funding or other government finance towards your PhD.

You can't get the loan if you began your PhD before the 2022/23 academic year.

To discover whether you qualify for PhD funding, see GOV.UK - Doctoral loan eligibility .

Is my Doctorate eligible?

Most full and part-time PhD programmes, Professional Doctorates and PhDs 'upgraded' from Master of Philosophy (MPhil) are eligible, provided they are hosted by a UK university.

Your programme must last for at least three years and no longer than eight years. There are no restrictions on what subject you can study and your PhD proposal will not be assessed as part of your loan application.

PhDs by publication are not eligible because they do not involve an active period of studying. You also can't get a PhD loan for a research Masters degree such as an MRes or a standalone MPhil - for these you should apply for a postgraduate loan instead.

If you're studying for a PhD within a Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) or Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), your eligibility depends on whether your research is funded by a Research Council studentship. If it is, you won't be able to get a loan.

How do I apply?

Visit  GOV.UK - Apply for a Doctoral loan for full details of how to apply for PhD funding via Student Finance England.

The deadline for Doctoral loan applications is nine months after the first day of the final academic year of your PhD - meaning you can still apply after you have started studying.

How will I receive my PhD loan?

Your loan will be paid in three instalments (33%, 33% and 34%) per academic year directly into your bank account by the Student Loans Company (SLC). It will be spread evenly across your studies.

You'll stop receiving your loan if you withdraw from your PhD or transfer to an ineligible programme, but you'll still be liable to repay what you have borrowed.

When do I start repaying my loan?

Repayments will start once you have completed your PhD and you're earning at least £21,000 per year (£1,750 per month before tax and other deductions). You'll pay at a rate of 6% of your income over this threshold.

If you're employed, your repayments will be taken out of your salary automatically on a monthly basis. If you're self-employed, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will calculate how much you must repay on completion of your annual self-assessment tax return.

You'll be charged interest on your loan from the date you receive the first instalment from the SLC. This is calculated at the retail price index (RPI) +3%, meaning that that the interest accrued will typically be the annually reviewed RPI percentage, plus an additional 3%. The interest rate currently stands at 7.8%.

Any outstanding balance will be written off 30 years after your loan first becomes due for repayment.

Be aware that if you have previously taken out a postgraduate loan to fund Masters-level study, this will be combined with your PhD loan. You'll therefore repay a single debt at a rate of 6% of your income over £21,000.

However, debt from your undergraduate student loan is paid concurrently rather than combined. This means you may find yourself repaying up to 15% of your income - 9% for your undergraduate loan and 6% for your postgraduate/PhD loan.

What other PhD funding is available?

• PhD studentships
• Research Council funding
• Scholarships and bursaries
• Employer sponsorship
• Crowdfunding

Remember that PhD loans cannot be combined with other public funding such as Research Council studentships or NHS funding.

PhD loans in Wales

In 2024/25, the Welsh government has confirmed that eligible students ordinarily resident in Wales are able to borrow up to £28,655 to study for a full or part-time PhD. As with the postgraduate Doctoral loan scheme for residents in England, it isn't means-tested.

If your course started in 2023/24, you can apply for a loan of up to £28,395.

Explore how and when to apply by visiting  Student Finance Wales .

Doctoral funding in Scotland and Northern Ireland 

PhD loans are not currently available in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but there are other options you can pursue in order to fund your education.

For instance, organisations such as Student Information Scotland and the Department for the Economy (DfE) provide details of the PhD scholarships available to residents of Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.

Find out more

• Search for PhDs in the UK .
• Learn about PhD study .

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• PhD Loans – 2023 Guide for Doctoral Students
• Funding a PhD
• A PhD Loan can fund a PhD in any field lasting between three to eight years .
• You can borrow up to £28,673 for courses that started on or after 1st August 2023.
• There are several eligibility restrictions, including that you must be a UK national resident and not receiving other funding (e.g. from Research Council or NHS).
• The repayments will be 6% of your annual income above  £21,000 .

What Is a PhD Loan?

A PhD loan is a form of UK Government loan made available to doctoral students residing in England or Wales. It is designed to help students fund their doctoral programme or equivalent degree, covering basic costs such as the tuition course fees and living costs.

The most common degrees they cover are:

• PhD – Doctor of Philosophy
• EngD – Doctor of Engineering
• EdD – Doctor of Education

Note: PhD Loans are formally known as Postgraduate Doctoral Loans, however, many postgraduate students commonly refer to Doctoral Loans as PhD Loans due to their primary use to fund PhDs.

Am I Eligible for a PhD Loan?

There are several requirements you must meet to be an eligible student for a PhD loan, such as your residency status. The eligibility criteria are summarised below into two categories – those that make you eligible and those that make you ineligible for a PhD loan.

Requirements That Make You Eligible:

• Be a UK or Irish citizen or have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme , and ordinarily a resident of England or Wales.
• Be under the age of 60.
• Undertake a PhD (or another doctoral degree) that is three to eight years long and provided by a university in the UK.

Note: A common misunderstanding amongst university students is that a Doctoral Loan can fund an MPhil degree. As an MPhil is a Master’s degree, it does not meet the ‘Doctoral or equivalent’ requirement for being eligible for a Doctoral Loan. Therefore, if you are considering undertaking an MPhil, you should instead be applying for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan. If more appropriate for your situation, you can find out more information about Postgraduate Loans here .

Requirements That Make You Ineligible:

You must not:

• Already hold a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree.
• Already be receiving funding. This includes grants from the Research Council (studentships, stipends & scholarships etc.), a social work bursary or NHS bursary (note that being eligible for an NHS Bursary even if you’re not receiving one will make you ineligible for a PhD loan).
• Already have had a Doctoral Loan before, unless you left your course due to illness, bereavement or another serious personal reason. You are still eligible if you have received an undergraduate loan in previous study.
• Obtain your PhD through publication (as this won’t have a period of study associated with it)

Aspects That Don’t Affect Your Eligibility:

There are several aspects of your PhD course that do not affect your eligibility to receiving Doctoral Loans. These are:

• Your doctoral course – your PhD can be in any subject or field. The underlying requirement is that it is provided by a university in the UK; i.e. a university in either England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
• Full-time or part-time course – you need not pursue your PhD full-time to be eligible. The underlying requirement is that your PhD can be completed within eight years regardless of how you allocate your time.
• Taught, research-based or a combination of both – as long as your PhD has an aspect of studying associated with it, the method of obtainment of your PhD will not affect your eligibility.

How Much Funding Can I Get?

The amount of funding you can obtain isn’t means-tested. This means that it isn’t related to your financial background or household income and therefore you can qualify for the full amount regardless of your situation.

The maximum loan amount you can borrow falls into one of three categories:

• Up to £28,673 if your course starts on or after 1st August 2023 ,
• Up to £27,892 if your course started between 1st August 2022 and 31st July 2023 ,
• Up to £27,265 if your course started between 1st August 2021 and 31 July 2022 .

You may apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan in any year of study, however you may not receive the maximum amount if you apply after the first year of your PhD. For annual costs, you may receive:

• Up to £12,167 per year  if your course starts on or after 1st August 2023 ,
• Up to £11,836 per year  if your course started between 1st August 2022 and 31st July 2023 ,
• Up to £11,570 per year  if your course started between 1st August 2021 and 31 July 2022 .

When Will I Get Paid?

Your loan payments will be spread out across all academic years of your course.

Example: If you undertake a full-time PhD over 5 years and apply for a loan amount of £25,000, you will receive £5,000 in each academic year.

Further to this, the allocation for each academic year will be paid in three even instalments, with each instalment paid at the start of a new term.

Example: Continuing with the above example, the £5,000 per each academic year would be paid in three instalments of £1,667.

Your first instalment will typically be paid immediately after your course start date. This is because your university will first need to confirm to Student Finance England (SFE) or Student Finance Wales that you’ve officially enrolled with them before the student loan can be released to you.

How and When Do I Repay?

Repayment terms – You will need to start repaying your loan once you have completed your PhD and started earning an annual income over £21,000 .

Once both these conditions are met, you will start making your repayments at 6% of your income above £21,000 . This means that for the first £21,000 you earn, you won’t need to make any contributions towards your loan repayment, however, anything above £21,000 will be subject to a 6% deduction for repayment towards your student loan.

It’s worth noting that if you work for an employer after your PhD, your repayments will be automatically deducted from your salary and there isn’t anything you will directly need to do. However, if you decide to work for yourself as opposed for an employer, you will need to make the repayments yourself.

Like undergraduate loans taken for undergraduate degrees, a postgraduate Doctoral Loan is subject to interest, which will need to be paid on top of your original student loan value. The interest rate is the retail price index (RPI) plus 3%.

Example: The average UK RPI for 2019 was approximately 2.4%. This means that besides the mandatory 3% that is owed, the average interest rate on a Doctoral Loan in 2019 would have been 5.4%.

It’s worth noting that if you aren’t able to completely repay your postgraduate loan within 30 years from the date of your first payment, the remaining loan debt will be voided.

How Do I Apply?

You can apply in one of two ways – either online , by setting up an account on Student Finance England’s website, or by post , by filling in a printable form on GOV.UK ‘s website. Click the respective below to be taken directly to their websites where you can find out more. Note that you will only have to apply once for Postgraduate Doctoral Loans; Student Finance England will contact you every year to confirm the amount you will receive.

Online Application – Student Finance England

Postal Application – GOV.UK

Note: While English residents and EU students who will study in England need to apply to Student Finance England, Welsh residents and EU students who will study in Wales will need to apply to Student Finance Wales .

The application deadline is based on when your doctoral programme is due to start; you should apply within 9 months of this start date.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

Other PhD Funding Options

A PhD Loan is only one of several sources of funding to support your PhD studies and living expenses. The other postgraduate funding options available to you are:

• Research Council funding and studentships
• Scholarships and bursaries
• Employer sponsorship
• Charities and Trusts

Browse PhDs Now

Join thousands of students.

Join thousands of other students and stay up to date with the latest PhD programmes, funding opportunities and advice.

Doctoral loans for 2024-entry

• Eligibility

How to apply

The English and Welsh governments introduced a loan scheme for doctoral courses from 2018/19 entry. If you are a new entrant for 2024/25, find out if you are eligible and how you can take out a loan through the information on this page.

Please note that details for students starting in 2024 have not yet been released in full by the UK government. All figures and eligibility criteria on these pages refer to those who started in 2023, unless stated otherwise, and will be updated when further information is available.

How much is the loan?

You can apply for a loan of up to £29,390 (or £28,655 for students from Wales) towards your course and living costs. These figures have been confirmed for students starting in 2024/25.

The loan will be divided equally across each year of your course in line with the number of years course fees are payable .

The loan is paid into your bank account in three instalments during the academic year.

More information

You can find full details about eligibility, application and repayment in the sections listed across the top of this page. An overview of doctoral loans and details of how to apply is available from your regional funding agency's website:

• Student Finance England
• Student Finance Wales

For courses starting on or after 1 August 2021, the UK government has confirmed that EU, other EEA, and Swiss Nationals will be eligible for student finance from the UK government if they have UK citizens’ rights (i.e. if they have pre-settled or settled status, or if they are an Irish citizen covered by the Common Travel Area arrangement). The support you can access from the government will depend on your residency status. Further details on eligibility can be found on the UK government website .

Who can take out the loan?

The information in this section is presented as a guide only. You should refer to the UK government website for further details.

To take out the doctoral loan, you must be:

• Aged under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course (on 1 September 2024 for courses starting in October 2024).
• Starting an eligible doctoral course in the 2018/19 academic year or later (on or after 1 August 2018).
• A UK or Irish national, or have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme or indefinite leave to remain so there are no restrictions on how long you can stay.
• Normally live in England or Wales.
• Have been ordinarily resident in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Ireland for three continuous years before the first day of your course.

You will not be eligible for the doctoral loan if:

• You already have a doctorate or higher level qualification.
• You have received or will receive Research Council funding.
• You are eligible to apply for the NHS bursary.
• You are already receiving funding from Student Finance for the same academic year.
• You have outstanding student loan arrears or have previously been found to be ‘unfit’ for student support (e.g. because of attempted fraud).
• You have received a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan before - unless you left your course due to illness, bereavement or another serious personal reason.
• You have transferred from a Masters to a Doctoral course.

Which courses are covered?

Taught and research standalone doctoral courses in any subject are covered by the loan. Courses must start on or after 1 August 2018, and be 3 to 8 years in duration. Courses can be studied on a full-time or part-time basis.

Doctoral courses that include an integrated master’s degree are eligible for the Postgraduate Doctoral Loan, but you must be admitted to and enrol on the doctoral course. You would not be able to make a separate application for Postgraduate Master’s Finance.

If your DPhil course commences in Hilary or Trinity Term please contact the Student Fees and Funding team and we can arrange for a Hilary or Trinity Term start version of your course to be set up within the Student Finance application portal if it has not been added previously.

Applications for students starting in 2024/25 are expected to open in May 2024. You are encouraged to apply as early as possible via your regional funding agency's website to ensure that funding is in place for the start of your course.

The information below is the University's best understanding of the current position. Any changes the government make to repayment arrangements are outside the control of the University.

Will I be charged interest on my loan?

Interest is charged at the Retail Price Index (RPI) plus 3% from the day your first payment is made until your loan is repaid in full.

How do I repay my loan?

You have to repay any loan you borrow, but not until your income is over £21,000 a year. Repayments will be based on your income, not what you borrow.

You will start making repayments the April after you finish or leave your course, or the April four years after the start of your course.

You will only start making repayments once your income is over the current threshold of £403 a week, £1,750 a month or £21,000 a year. You will repay 6% of what you earn over the threshold. So if you are paid monthly and earn £2,500 before tax you’ll repay 6% of the difference between what you earn and the threshold (£1,750):

£2,500 - £1,750 = £750

6% of £750 = £45

So your Postgraduate Loan repayment would be £45 that month.

What if I already have a student loan?

If you already have a Postgraduate Master’s Loan then you’ll make a combined repayment of 6% over the income threshold of £21,000 covering both postgraduate loans.

If you have had any other loan from the Student Loans Company then you will continue to make separate repayments alongside those for your postgraduate loan.

You can find further information on repayments at the  GOV.UK Repayments website .

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Postgraduate research

UK government doctoral loans

If you're starting a research degree from August 2023, you may be entitled to a government-backed loan.

A postgraduate doctoral loan can help with your course fees and living costs.

Apply now (gov.uk)

UK government loan

You could be eligible for a loan from Student Finance England if:

• You're a UK national or Irish citizen or have settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme or indefinite leave to remain so there are no restrictions on how long you can stay
• You normally live in England
• You've been living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 years in a row before the first day of the first academic year of your course (excepting temporary absences such as holidays)

  See full eligibility guidance (gov.uk)

• You could receive up to £28,673 over the duration of the course
• How much you get does not depend on your household income
• The loan is paid directly to you in three instalments each academic year
• Available in all subject areas for PhD-level qualifications lasting between three and eight years
• At least 50 per cent of study over the whole course must be undertaken in the UK
• Available to students aged under 60 on the first day of their course without Research Council studentships (including fees only awards) or NHS Bursaries including Social Work bursaries
• You'll have to start repaying your loan when your income is over a certain threshold amount. Please visit the Government's information on repaying your student loans (gov.uk) for the most up-to-date information.
• You'll be charged interest from the day you get the first payment.

You can also get extra support (gov.uk) if you have a disability.

If you apply after your first year

If you apply after your first year, you might not get the maximum amount. You can apply for a doctoral loan during any year of your course.

Devolved nations loans

• If you live in Wales (studentfinancewales.co.uk)
• If you live in Scotland, you will not be eligible for a loan from the Student Awards Agency Scotland. You could try applying for support from a Research Council instead.
• If you live in Northern Ireland, you will not be eligible for a loan from Student Finance Northern Ireland. You could try applying for support from a Research Council instead.
• Complete our self-referral form

Related links

• PhD loans guide  (findaphd.com)
• UK government Masters loan scheme

In addition to the residency requirements outlined above, you may also be eligible if you're a non-EU national and are:

• the child of a Turkish worker
• a refugee or the relative of someone who is
• under humanitarian protection or the relative of someone who is
• staying in the UK as stateless or the relative of someone who is
• aged 18 or over and have lived in the UK for at least 20 years or at least half your life
• aged under 18 and have lived in the UK for at least seven years
• granted indefinite leave to remain following the Calais camp clearance in 2016 (known as ‘Calais leave’) or the child of someone with Calais leave. You must also have lived in the UK for at least three years before the first day of the first academic year.

You will not normally be eligible if:

• you're a UK national or have settled or pre-settled status in the UK, but live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

UKCISA provides information on funding and loans for postgraduate students that live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Find out if you are eligible .

Other eligibility factors

You will not be eligible if:

• you already hold:
• a doctoral qualification
• an equivalent qualification
• a higher qualification
• you're receiving a doctorate by publication
• you're aged 60 or above on the first day of the academic year in which your course begins
• you've received or will receive Research Council funding (for example, studentships, stipends, scholarships and tuition fee support)
• you're already getting payments from Student Finance England for another course that you’re studying
• you're already getting a social work bursary
• you're already getting an Educational Psychology bursary
• you're eligible to apply for an NHS bursary (even if you’re not receiving it)
• you've received a Doctoral loan before - unless you left your course for a serious personal reason like illness or bereavement
• you're behind in repayments for any previous loans from the Student Loans Company.

How to apply

Applications for 2023/24 are now open.

For more information, or if you have any questions, please complete our self-referral form .

You can receive a loan to study a full, stand-alone postgraduate programme that awards a Doctoral qualification. Eligible courses include:

• PhD / DPhil

Course length and mode

Your course can be:

• full-time or part-time, lasting between three and eight years
• taught, research-based, or a combination of both
• taught by more than one university where one is overseas, so long as:
• the UK university is the lead institution
• you spend at least 50 per cent of your study time over the whole course in the UK
• distance learning, so long as:
• you live in the UK for the whole of your course if you’re not an EU national
• you live in England for the whole of your course if you’re an EU national.

Your loan will be paid to you in three instalments over the academic year, subject to confirmation of attendance by the University. After your application has been approved, you’ll be sent a letter with your payment dates, or you can check them in your online account. These will be evenly spaced across your course.

The loan will be paid directly to you. You will be responsible for using the money to contribute towards tuition fees and other expenses as you see fit.

You will begin repaying your loan once your earnings are over a certain threshold. Please check the latest government information for guidance.

Repaying your student loan (gov.uk)

If you're an eligible EU national who joined the University in the 2019/20 or 2020/21 academic years, you'll have access to student loans for the duration of your course.

• For further details, see EU Nationals and Student Finance in England (gov.uk).

If you're unsure of whether you're eligible, or if you have further visa or immigration advice, please complete the International Student Support self-referral form .

University of Birmingham

Postgraduate Doctoral Loan

Government loan for Postgraduate Doctoral Study

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan is available for students normally residing in England to help meet the cost of doctoral study in the UK.

For the 2023/24 academic year, the UK Government is offering a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan of up to £28,673 per student. The loan, which is not means tested, will be divided equally across each year of your course. The money will be paid directly to you, so you can choose to use it towards your course fees or living costs.

Key information

A loan of up to £28,673 will be made available to students applying to doctoral research courses starting on or after 1st August 2023.

The loan will be available to students across all discipline subject areas for full-time, part-time and distance learning doctoral programmes, so long as you do not have existing qualifications at Doctoral level or above.

The loan will be paid directly to you, into a UK bank account.

The loan is available to UK nationals who normally live in England. A different Postgraduate Doctoral Loan is available if you normally live in Wales. Moving somewhere to study does not count as normally living there.

EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status may also be eligible for the loan. Further details are given below.

Important note: course length is counted from initial registration up to the expected final thesis submission (for a standard full-time doctoral course this means three years of supervised study plus one year of writing up period, equalling four years in total).

For more information about the Postgraduate Doctoral Loan, visit the UK Government website .

Eligibility and how to apply

Eligibility.

The loans are available to students under the age of 60 on the first day of the first academic year of their programme. The academic year is a period of 12 months starting on:

1 September, if your course starts between 1 August and 31 December

1 January, if your course starts between 1 January and 31 March

1 April, if your course starts between 1 April and 30 June

1 July, if your course starts between 1 July and 31 July

The loan is available to UK nationals who have been living in England for three years by the first day of their course (and who have not moved to England just to study).

The loan is also available to EU students ( nationality and residency rules for EU nationals apply ). If you started or are starting a course on or after 1 August 2021, you must have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to get student finance.

Distance learning applicants must reside in England on the first day of the first academic year of their course and remain living within the UK for the whole of the course.

Students who already hold a Doctoral qualification (or an equivalent or higher-level qualification) will not be eligible for the loan.

Postgraduate Doctoral Loans are not available to students wanting to ‘top-up’ a lower level qualification to a Doctoral degree. The course must be a full, standalone Doctoral course.

The course must last between three to eight academic years and be delivered by a UK university in the UK (you are still eligible for the loan if more than one university delivers your course and one is oversees, as long as the UK university is the lead university and you spend at least 50% of your study time in the UK). Please note that applicants to our Dubai campus will not be eligible for the Postgraduate Doctoral Loan.

Students are not eligible for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan if they are in receipt of any other funding from any of the following:

Research Council funding (for example, studentships, stipends, scholarships and tuition fee support)

Social work bursary

NHS bursary

You can apply for non-repayable Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA) in addition to the Doctoral Loan to cover some of the extra costs you have because of a mental health problem, long-term illness or any other disability. You do not have to apply for a Doctoral Loan to be eligible for DSA . Postgraduate students can apply for a single allowance DSA payment of up to £25,575 (2022/23) to support them in their course.

For more information, or to seek clarification as to eligible programmes, please check the Government Postgraduate Doctoral Loan website.

How to apply

You apply directly to Student Finance England (SFE) for the Doctoral Loan. You can find out more via the Postgraduate Doctoral Loans website .

We recommend that you apply for a place on your course at the University of Birmingham prior to applying for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan.

You will need to know your course name, start date and the duration of your course in order to apply. Please use our programme list to select the correct subject/course name on the Doctoral Loan application form.

The deadline to apply is nine months after the first day of the last year of your course.

Please note : our standard full-time doctoral programmes are normally three years in duration. However, many programmes will be listed on the SFE website with a course length of four years. This is because the course length is defined as the maximum period of registration for that particular course, which includes the three years of full-time supervised study plus one thesis awaited year.

There is no minimum loan amount that can be requested. The total requested can be altered up to one month before the end of the course.

The money will be paid directly to you. It will be your responsibility to pay your tuition fees. Information on paying your tuition fees can be found here .

Payments will be made in three instalments of 33%, 33% and 34% each academic year. You will receive the first payment after your course start date, once we have confirmed that you have registered. After your application has been approved by the Student Loans Company (SLC) you will be sent a letter by them with your payment dates, or you can check them in your online account.

As with undergraduate support, students will need to provide both valid UK bank details and a National Insurance Number (NINO) in their own name.

Interest will accrue at a rate of RPI +3%.

Repayments will begin to be due either the first April after you leave your course, or April four years after the course started (whichever is sooner).

The repayment threshold will be £21,000.

The repayment amount will be 6% of income above the relevant threshold.

Repayments will be made concurrently with any other student loan repayments due. If you are repaying both an undergraduate and a postgraduate loan you will have a 15% (UG 9% and PG 6%) total deduction taken from your salary above the repayment threshold. If you have taken out both a Postgraduate Masters Loan and a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan then these will be combined into one Postgraduate Loan repayment of 6%, so the total will not be more than 15% even if you have all three (UG, Masters and Doctoral) loans.

Any outstanding balance will be written off after the 30th anniversary the repayments became due.

Change of circumstances

Repeat years of study will not be funded unless you have exceptional circumstances as determined by the SLC.

Further funding is not available where the course is not completed in the specified length.

Students can suspend and resume their course by taking a Leave of Absence . No payments are made during the suspension period unless the Leave of Absence is on medical grounds.

If you apply after your first year

You can apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan in any year of your course. But if you apply after your first year, you might not get the maximum amount.

You can get up to:

• £12,167 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2023
• £11,836 if your course started between 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023
• £11,570 if your course started between 1 August 2021 and 31 July 2022
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Government PhD loans in England

What students are eligible.

Some PhD students are eligible for loans, but many are not because of their alternative funding arrangements. As with all UK Government student loans, students must be usually resident in England for three years before making the application. If you are an EU national, then you must have settled or pre-settled basis if you are starting your PhD after the 1st of August 2021. Other international students must have indefinite leave to remain in the UK and all students must be under the age of 60 on the first academic day of their studies.

What students are not eligible?

Students who are not eligible for a PhD student loan in England are those who have received or will receive funding from one of the Research Councils, those who are getting a Social Work bursary , an Educational Psychology bursary and those who are getting other funding from Student Finance England . If you have received funding for a PhD in the past, then you may not qualify for funding unless you left your course for a serious personal reason. Students who are also eligible to apply for an NHS bursary, even if they don't apply for it, are not eligible for a government PhD loan, and neither are those who already have a PhD. Students who are behind in their payments to the Student Loan Company will also be rendered ineligible.

What courses are eligible?

The PhDs eligible for a PhD loan are those studied on a structured basis either part-time or full-time. PhDs by publication and top-up PhDs are not eligible for Government PhD loans in England. The PhD must last between three and eight years, and the student must have started their PhD on or after the 1st of August 2018. The course must also be based at a UK public university with research degree awarding powers, or the lead university of your PhD must be a UK university and 50% of your time must be spent in the UK for the duration of your PhD. Many postgraduate doctoral qualifications are eligible and these include a PhD or DPhil, Doctor of Engineering (EngD) and a Doctor of Education (EdD).

Is the value of the loan linked to course fees?

No, the amounts you borrow is up to you rather than the Government, as long as it doesn't exceed the annual limit. If you are studying an integrated masters and PhD program, then you can apply for PhD funding but not masters funding.

Who should you apply to and by when?

Students should apply to Student Finance England, either online, using their online forms or by telephone if there is difficulty using a computer, because some reason such as a disability. You must apply within nine months of the first day of the last academic year of your PhD to access any Government loans, and this must be done once you have a secured PhD place.

Does the debt get cancelled at any point?

Any PhD loan that is still outstanding 30 years after the repayments start is cancelled. For students who become unable to work because of disability or ill health any amount they owe is also cancelled.

Government PhD loans in Wales

Which students are eligible.

Those PhD students eligible for a Government PhD loan in Wales are any student that has been resident in Wales for three years and is a UK citizen, an EU citizen with settled or pre-settled status or has permanent leave to remain the UK. International students who are refugees are also often eligible as are many children of migrants and refugees. EU or EEA and Swiss students who are travelling to Wales to study can all access Welsh Government loans. Students must be under 60 years of age on the first day of their course and the PhD must be the first postgraduate doctoral-level course they have studied. Distance learning PhD students are eligible for Government loans if they are resident in Wales for the duration of the PhD. As are those students who are in the armed forces or are the dependents of someone in the armed forces and are based abroad.

Distance learning PhD courses are eligible for Government PhD loans in Wales, as are both full- and part-time PhDs. However, integrated masters and PhD courses are only eligible for masters-level funding. Students must be attending a UK-based publicly funded university or if it is a private university, then the PhD course must be approved by the Welsh Government. Similarly to Student Finance England, a student applying to Student Finance Wales can be based at two universities but must spend 50% of their time in the UK-based institution. The PhD must be research-based and completed in three to eight years. The amount you can borrow is not related to the topic you are studying.

Who should you apply to and when?

You should apply to Student Finance Wales and you can do this before you have a secured place at a university, but funds will not be released until you have a PhD position. The PhD loan applications are done online, but there is provision for those who need assistance with online applications and must be completed within nine months of the first day of your course.

The debt can be cancelled 30 years after the first repayment is made or if the student becomes too ill or disabled to work.

Government PhD Loans in Scotland & Northern Ireland

The Scottish and Northern Irish Governments do not offer any loans to PhD students in any form. This includes those masters level students who are studying a masters that is an integrated into a PhD, however these students may well be eligible to apply for a UK Government masters loan .

UK Government PhD Loans… in a nutshell

So, in summary, what PhD loans are avaialble from the UK Governments?

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Other PhD loan options in Scotland & Northern Ireland

Students in Scotland and Northern Ireland will have to find alternative funding methods, such as the UK Research Councils and other funding bodies or private loans. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, PhD students often receive public funds in the form of grants and bursaries from the Research Councils based in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The governments in these home nations fund areas they wish to see more research through these different research councils and organisations. Check with the university you are applying to for your PhD, as they will have a significant understanding of the financing options for your particular research area. As part of your application for a research PhD, you will find that funding your studies will be a large part of your investigations.

Are any private loans available for PhD students in the UK?

There are a few private lenders who work with some universities in the UK to offer specialised loans to PhD students. Lendwise is one good private loan option, this private loan company offers loans of between £5,000 and £100,000 and has the advantage of student-friendly considerations such as fee-free early repayment. This type of lenders will contact your university to ensure that you are studying there, but don't usually require a co-signer for the loan. The amount they will lend to you and the conditions are based on your credit rating in the UK and the subject that you are researching. However, in comparison to UK Government loans, you can receive other funding sources and this does not impact on how much you can borrow.

PhD bank loans

PhD students are able to get bank loans if they meet the eligibility requirements. If you are studying your PhD part time and working at the same time, then your income should allow you to borrow money from traditional banks. For full-time students, borrowing money like this will be less likely as the bank will want to know how you will pay back the money. Also, the repayments will start immediately and you are unlikely to be offered a discounted rate like private or publicly funded student loans. If you have a limited credit rating, then you may find that you cannot have a loan without a guarantor or co-signatory.

PhD loan repayments

Whatever type of PhD loan you opt for, it is crucial that you are fully aware of the repayment terms. So let’s take a look at what these could be.

Here we have compiled answers to frequently asked questions about UK PhD loans. If you still have any unanswered questions about PhD loans please email us and we will do our best to help.

What courses qualify for a UK Government PhD loan?

The PhD loan is only available for students in England and Wales. The PhDs eligible for a PhD loan are those studied on a structured basis either part-time or full-time. PhDs by publication and top-up PhDs are not eligible for Government PhD loans in England. If you are studying an integrated masters and PhD program, then you can apply for PhD funding but not masters funding.

Can I apply for a UK Government PhD loan in Scotland or Northern Ireland?

No – UK Government PhD-funding is only available for PhD students in England and Wales. Other private and commercial PhD funding options are available in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Are UK Government PhD loans means-tested?

No – all that matters is that you and your PhD are eligible for the loan, your income and savings do not affect your eligibility.

Can I apply for a UK Government PhD loan if I’ve lived outside the UK in the last three years?   

No – to apply for a loan as a UK student you must have lived in the UK for three years prior to your PhD. You can have travelled from the UK for holidays or periods of temporary absence during these three years, but you shouldn’t have become ordinarily resident in another country.

Will my credit history be checked?  

Your personal credit rating and existing debts won’t matter for UK Government PhD loans unless you are in arrears with the Student Loans Company. Your credit history will usually be checked with private funding companies.

Can I get a PhD loan whilst working?

Yes – you can have a job during your PhD studies and still access UK Government PhD student finance. You will also be able to apply for a private loan from companies like Lendwise if studying your PhD whilst working.

When will I have to start making my PhD loan repayments?

Your loan repayments will depend on what home nation or private company you got your loan from. It is important to check the repayment terms before you commit to taking out the loan

Disclaimer:  Prodigy Finance and Lendwise are two of many potential funding options for postgraduate students. Other student funding options are available; research all your options thoroughly before making a commitment. Please be aware that Postgrad Solutions Ltd receives a commission from both parties for any successful loan applications taken out by Postgrad.com and LLMstudy.com users. Postgrad Solutions accepts no responsibility for your choice of loan and does not endorse or support Prodigy Finance or Lendwise. Prodigy Finance Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and entered on the Financial Services Register under firm registration number 612713. Lendwise Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm registration number 782496.

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Postgraduate Doctoral Loan

Loan amount

How to apply, check if you're eligible, eu, other eea and swiss nationals, how the loan is paid, repaying your loan.

If you are a Home student, you can apply for Postgraduate Doctoral Loan from the UK government to help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course, such as a PhD.

See an estimate of costs for living in London as an Imperial student.

There’s different  funding if you normally live in Wales .

The loan will not be available if:

• you have or will receive Research Council funding which includes stipends and or tuition fee support
• you are receiving a  social work bursary
• you are eligible to apply for an  NHS Bursary
• you are still studying another course and are in receipt of payments from Student Finance
• you already have a doctoral degree or equivalent/higher qualification
• you are receiving a doctorate by publication
• you are behind in repayments for any previous loans from Student Loans Company

Students studying doctoral courses starting on or after 1 August 2024 can get up to £29,390.

The loan is not means-tested, so it doesn't matter what your household income is.

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Students who normally live in England should apply via Student Finance England.

If you’ve taken out a loan with Student Finance England before,  use your account to apply . If you do not already have one,  set up an account .

If you're a Home student living elsewhere, you should apply to your regional funding body.

Explore information about  eligibility for this loan on Gov.uk.

EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals starting courses on or after 1 August 2021 must have settled or pre-settled status in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme to be able to apply for this type of financial support.

Visit the  EU Settlement Scheme information guide  for more information.

This does not apply to students who are Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland, who are automatically treated as settled in the UK and do not need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to benefit from the right to UK student finance. 

For full information on the nationality or residency status requirement for this type of financial support, please see the Gov.uk website .

The loan is paid directly to you.

It will be divided equally across each year of your course.

You have to repay your loan, but only once you:

• have left university
• are in employment
• are earning over a certain amount

Find out more about repaying your loans .

Alternatively, use our A–Z index

Postgraduate loans for doctoral students

If you’re coming to Manchester this year to begin or continue postgraduate doctoral research, you could qualify for a loan from the UK government.

The maximum loan available for those starting a programme on or after 1 August 2022 is £27,892. Applications are open now.

This postgraduate student loan is paid directly to you and is non-means tested. The loan is a contribution towards the cost of study and is unlikely to fund the full cost of your doctoral studies. You will need to research how to fund any shortfall.

The information on this page is about the loan available to English students studying in the UK. There are similar funding arrangements for UK students resident in Wales; apply online at Student Finance Wales . Students ordinarily resident in Jersey , Guernsey and the Isle of Man may also be eligible for support.

Eligibility

To apply for a postgraduate doctoral loan, you must:

• be a UK or Irish national or have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme  or indefinite leave to remain so there are no restrictions on how long you can stay;
• normally live in England;
• have been living in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Ireland for three continuous years before the first day of your course, apart from temporary absences such as going on holiday; 
• UK applicants from Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man who move to England solely for the purpose of attending the course will not be eligible.

If you’re an EU national or a family member of an EU national

You may be eligible if you’re an EU national or a family member of an EU national, and all the following apply:

• you have settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme;
• you’ve normally lived in the UK, Gibraltar, EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein for the past three years (this is also known as being ‘ordinarily resident’);
• you’ll be studying at a university or college in England.

You could also be eligible if you’re:

• the child of a Swiss national and you and your parent have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme;
• a migrant worker from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein with pre-settled status, or a family member of a migrant worker where both have pre-settled status;
• a resident of Gibraltar who is a UK or EU national, or their family member.

You may also be eligible with another residency status. See the gov.uk website for full details.

You must be under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course to get a postgraduate doctoral loan.

Previous study

If you have a loan from a previous undergraduate course or postgraduate master’s course, it won’t affect your eligibility for a postgraduate doctoral loan.

You can only get a postgraduate doctoral loan if you don’t already have an equivalent doctoral qualification or a higher-level qualification such as a PhD.

If you borrow a postgraduate doctoral loan for a course but don’t complete it, you won’t be able to get a second postgraduate doctoral loan. However, if you have to withdraw from your course for compelling personal reasons, such as illness, you may still be able to apply for another postgraduate doctoral loan.

Other eligibility

You won’t be able to get a postgraduate doctoral loan if you are getting any Research Council funding.

Course eligibility

The course you’re studying must be a full postgraduate doctoral course leading to a qualification such as:

• subject specialist doctorates: a formal programme of study such as a PhD;
• integrated subject specialist doctorates: a supervised research project undertaken alongside a more structured taught course, or may depend on successful completion of taught elements and be undertaken in later years. Integrated doctorates normally offer exit awards at master's level based on successful completion of taught course units (students must register for the doctoral degree at the outset to be eligible for a postgraduate doctoral loan);
• professional and practice-based doctorates: post-experience qualifications aimed at mid-career professionals, for example, an Engineering Doctorate (EngD).

A postgraduate doctoral loan isn't available to students wanting to ‘top up’ a lower-level qualification to a doctoral degree. Your course must be a full standalone doctoral course. The loan is available whether you are studying your course in person or by distance learning, and your course can be:

• a full-time course lasting at least three years;
• a part-time course lasting up to eight years.

How to apply

You only need to apply once for the postgraduate doctoral loan, as the application and funding are for the duration of your course. If you’re studying over three or more academic years, you’ll get a letter each year confirming your payments for the upcoming academic year.

The quickest way to apply for a postgraduate doctoral loan is online .

If you can’t apply online, you should download a paper application form .  

When to apply

You should apply as soon as possible so that the Student Loans Company can contact you if they need any further information or evidence. You must apply no more than nine months after the first day of the last academic year of your course.

Please note if you apply after your first year, you might not get the maximum loan amount. 

When you’re paid

You get the first payment after your course start date, once your university or college confirms that you’ve registered.

The loan will be paid in three instalments of 33%, 33% and 34% each year. After your application has been approved you’ll be sent a letter with your payment dates or you can check them in your online account.

Interest will be charged from the day the first payment is made to you and will be charged at the Retail Price Index (RPI) plus 3%.

You’ll be due to start making repayments the April after you finish or leave your course, or the April four years after the beginning of your course, whichever is sooner. You’ll only start repaying when your income is over £21,000 per year, £1,750 a month, or £404 a week.

You will repay 6% of what you earn over the threshold. So if you’re paid monthly and earn £2,500 per month before tax, you’ll repay 6% of the difference between what you earn and the threshold.

For example:

• £2,500 - £1,750 = £750
• 6% of £750 = £45

The following table shows how much you’ll repay towards your loan: 

Previous loans

If you have had a previous loan from the Student Loans Company, you’ll continue to repay these loans at the same time. How much you’ll repay depends on when you started your undergraduate course. 

Courses that started after 1 September 2012

If you borrowed a loan for an undergraduate course that started after 1 September 2012, you’ll repay 9% of your income above £27,295 a year towards that loan and 6% of your income above £21,000 a year towards your postgraduate loan. If you borrowed a postgraduate loan for a master’s course as well as a doctoral programme, the repayment amount due will remain at 6%, combining both postgraduate loans.

The table below shows how much you’ll repay towards your loans. 

Find out more

Find out more about the Doctoral Loan on the UK government website.

Go to gov.uk