Postgraduate loans

If you’re a UK student, you can get a loan to help you study a masters degree and some other postgraduate qualifications.

Loans have to be repaid after you have completed your course — unlike scholarships, grants and bursaries.

The amount you can get and eligibility rules vary depending on which country you normally live in.

England

How much you can get in a postgraduate loan depends on when your course started:

• on or after 1 August 2025, you can borrow up to £12,858
• between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025, you can borrow up to £12,471
• between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024, you can borrow up to £12,167

The loan is to help with both tuition fees and living costs.

If you are from England: 

• loans do not depend on your income
• you must be studying a full masters course (180 credits)
• you must be under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course
• funding is available for full-time, part-time and distance learning courses
• you apply once
• the loan is paid to you each year, in three instalments by the Student Loans Company, therefore you will be required to set up an instalment plan at online enrolment

For further details visit masters loans on the Government’s website.

Wales

How much you can get in a postgraduate loan depends on when your course started:

• between 1 August 2025 and 31 July 2026, you can borrow up to £19,255
• between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025, you can borrow up to £18,950
• between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024, you can borrow up to £18,770

The loan is to help with both tuition fees and living costs.

If you are from Wales: 

• you must be studying for a full masters course (180 credits)
• funding is available for full-time, part-time and distance learning courses
• you must be under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course
• you apply once
• the loan is paid to you each year, in three instalments by the Student Loans Company, therefore you will be required to set up an instalment plan at online enrolment

For further details visit Student Finance Wales.

Scotland

Two types of loan are available — up to £7,000 towards tuition fees and £6,900 towards living costs.

If you are studying at Manchester Met, the loans are currently only available for full-time courses.

If you are from Scotland: 

• loans do not depend on your income
• you apply once
• the loan is paid to you each year, in three instalments by the Student Loans Company, therefore you will be required to set up an instalment plan at online enrolment

For further details visit Student Awards Agency Scotland.

Northern Ireland

For academic year 2024/25, the amount of postgraduate loan from Student Finance Northern Ireland is £6,500.

Eligible courses include postgraduate diplomas and certificates, as well as masters degrees.

If you are from Northern Ireland:

• loans do not depend on your income
• funding is available for both part-time and full-time masters courses lasting no more than three years
• you need to make a separate application each academic year of your course
• the loan will be paid directly to the University

For further information, visit Student Finance Northern Ireland.