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You can make an application for a student loan online via the relevant Student Finance authority’s webpage. It takes at least six weeks to process applications. It is important to apply as soon as possible once the application service opens.

The application facility for Student Finance England typically opens towards the end of February (for full-time undergraduate loans) and the other Student Finance authorities open their application facilities from March onwards. It’s a good idea to follow your Student Finance authority on social media to receive notification of when they open.

Applications can be made for student finance even without a confirmed place at university. Individuals are asked to enter the institution and course details where they hope to study. We recommend this is completed as accurately as possible with the name of the institution and the course that you think you are most likely to be studying in over the upcoming academic year.

The institution code is H12; ÎÞÂ붯»­ does not have several campus codes, so leave the campus code field blank.

You can find your course by searching using the UCAS course code. Make sure you check that the course name matches the course you’re planning to study with us and has the UCAS code shown in brackets at the end of the course name.

Our current students will access courses that do not have a bracketed UCAS code in the course name.

Once your application is submitted, it is possible to make changes to the details via your Student Finance online account. If the course you applied for changes, it is important to log back into your Student Finance account and update the details before the start of term.

Should your personal circumstances change, it is important that you keep your Student Finance account up to date so that your payments are not delayed in the future.

If you apply for a Maintenance Loan, the amount you are eligible to receive will depend on your household income. Student Finance will ask you to provide National Insurance and income details. You may also be required to submit evidence of your identity and residency.

The most common way is to provide valid UK passport details. If this is not available, a UK birth or adoption certificate or valid non-UK passport are normally sufficient.

Full details of acceptable evidence are provided when your start your application.

Your household income includes any of the following that apply:

• your parents’ income, if you’re under 25 and live with them or depend on them financially
• the combined income of one of your parents and their partner, if you’re under 25 and live with them or depend on them financially
• your partner’s income, if you’re over 25 and live with them (even if they spend most of their time abroad)
• income you get from your own savings, investments or property, for example dividends or rent

If you are under 25 and consider yourself to be financially independent, you will need to apply for Independent Student Status. Further information is available from your Student Finance authority.

If your parents are separated or divorced, in order to determine your household income, your Student Finance authority will ask you to declare who you live with or have most contact with. If you spend an equal amount of time with both of your parents, you will be asked to pick who will be a sponsor for your application.

There will be a deadline for you to submit your application, in order to have funds for the start of your course. Check with your Student Finance authority for details, and ensure your completed application is submitted well before the deadline.

If you miss the deadline, you are likely to experience a delay in receiving your funds.

Depending on your circumstances, the amount you may borrow could increase, particularly if your siblings are studying at university too. 

Your Student Finance authority will issue you with an Entitlement letter or Payment Schedule to confirm your entitlement once your application has been assessed and approved. You can refer back to this in the communications area of your Student Finance online account should you need to at any time.

Once you have enrolled and registered at university, the first instalment will be released into your nominated bank account. It can typically take between 3 and 5 working days for the money to reach you from this time.

For new students, that means you would normally expect to receive your first instalment by the end of Welcome Week.

We recommend that you have sufficient funds for the first two weeks of term, in case there are any unforeseen delays.

The Tuition Fee Loan will be released and paid directly to the university in instalments from mid-October, subject to attendance and engagement checks made by the university.

Household income is normally assessed on the previous tax year. If your household income changes by more or less than 15% before your loan is approved or within the academic year, you can request a Current Year Income Assessment. Student Finance would reassess your Maintenance Loan entitlement based on the new Income Assessment which may result in a revised loan offer.

Yes, even if none of your personal circumstances have changed.

Your repayments will start in April; normally the year after you leave or complete your course. The Repayments Team at the Student Loans Company handle this, and repayments are calculated and deducted straight out of your salary each month. If you are not salaried they will help arrange for you to make repayments directly. 

Repayments are taken as a percentage of your earnings above the threshold stipulated by your Student Finance authority. This means that if your income changes for any reason, repayments will be adjusted. 

Each Student Finance authority has different rules regarding writing off Student Loans. Please refer to your Student Finance authority website for details. 

Interest is applied to all borrowing – both Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans - from the time it is released. How interest is calculated will be dependent on which Student Finance authority your loans are with. For full and up to date details, see the relevant website.

Your student loan will not affect your credit rating in the same way as other loans might do because loan repayments are calculated and deducted directly from your salary by the HMRC (or handled differently if you do not receive a salaried income). Please see the Student Loans Company repayment website for details or contact them directly with any questions or concerns. You can find advice online about this too on other independent websites like MoneySavingExpert or Save The Student. 

You need to make an application for a Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loan for each year of study.
The quickest way to apply is to sign-in to your Student Finance account. If you have had funding for university in the past, you will be able to use the same sign-in details. If not, you will need to create an account.

Each Student Finance Authority has different application opening dates from June.

We recommend that you do not leave it any later than the 31^st of July to submit your application to ensure you receive your first payment at the start of the university term.

Depending on where you live, you can apply for a variety of postgraduate loan to help cover course fees and living costs.

• England: A single Postgraduate Master’s Loan to pay towards both tuition fees and living expenses.
• Wales: A single loan and means-tested grant combination to pay towards both tuition fees and living expenses.
• Scotland: A Tuition Fee Loan which is paid directly to the university and a Postgraduate Living Cost Loan to pay towards living expenses.
• Northern Ireland: A Tuition Fee Loan which is paid directly to the university. There is not currently a provision to support with living expenses.

Generally, no.

To be eligible for funding for Postgraduate Student Finance you must normally live in the country you are applying for finance from. You must be a UK National or Irish citizen, or have Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme

You must have 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 the course (excluding temporary absences such as holidays or work placements). 

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course, such as a PhD.

You can get up to £29,390 if your course starts on or after 1^st August 2024.

The amount you will get is not based on you or your family’s income.

The loan is paid directly to you and not the University. If your course is longer than one year, the loan will be divided equally across each year of your course. 

The first payment is made after your course start date, once the university confirms that you are registered.

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

Yes, you must be under 60 years of age on the first day of the first academic year of your chosen course. 

Whether you qualify depends on:

• your course
• your age
• your nationality or residency status

You will not be able to get a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan if:

• you’ve received or will receive Research Council funding (for example, studentships, stipends, scholarships and tuition fee support)
• you’re already getting a social work bursary
• you’re already getting an Educational Psychology bursary and your course starts on or after 1 August 2020
• you’re eligible to apply for an NHS bursary (even if you’re not receiving it)
• you’re already getting payments from Student Finance England for another course that you’re studying
• you’ve received a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan before - unless you left your course due to illness, bereavement or another serious personal reason
• you already have a doctoral degree, or a qualification that’s equivalent or higher
• you’re receiving a doctorate by publication
• you’re behind in repayments for any previous loans from the Student Loans Company

Check the web page for full details regarding eligibility.

The course must:

• be a full, standalone doctoral course (not a top-up course).
• have started on or after 1 August 2018.
• last between 3 to 8 academic years.
• be provided by a university in the UK with research degree awarding powers.

It can be:

• full-time or part-time.
• taught or research-based, or a combination of both.

A full time PhD programme for UK, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man, and Channel Island students costs £4,790 per year for 2024/25. More information is available in the Fees and Charges brochure.