Funding postgraduate study

• Apply early as competition is intense. Applications for funding for both taught and research places generally have to be submitted by the spring for courses starting in the autumn.
• Some courses - 'studentships' - include funding which covers fees and living expenses.
• Some universities or colleges offer privately-funded scholarships.
• Your main costs will be tuition fees and accommodation/living expenses.
• Typical tuition fees can range from £3,000 - £6,000 per year for UK and EU students. (Courses involving laboratory work are usually more expensive, as are courses such as an MBA.)
• Costs can be covered by using savings, working while you study (many postgraduate courses can be studied on a part-time basis) and/or receiving financial help.

Financial help

• Sums offered vary in terms of amount and what they cover (fees or living expenses), and can comprise a one-off payment or several payments throughout your course.
• Some stipulate part-time or full-time study, or masters degrees or doctorates.
• Research Councils (government-funded agencies) provide funding for many postgraduate students in the UK. For more information visit the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
• Charities and trusts provide grants, usually to students from poorer backgrounds, or for those with a record of academic excellence. Visit your local library for information.
• Learned societies such as The Royal Academy of Engineering offer financial assistance with postgraduate/postdoctorate research.
• The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining both offer funding to Engineering and Technology postgraduates.
• A Professional and Career Development Loan allows you to borrow money and pay no interest while you study. You can borrow up to £10,000 to help fund up to two years of study (three years if your course includes one year of relevant work experience). Find out more at Directgov
• If your course is related to your job, you may be able to get financial help from your employer if your postgraduate study would benefit the firm. Employers who cannot provide funding may be willing to offer paid or unpaid study leave.
• Postgraduate students with an impairment, health condition or learning difficulty may be able to get financial help for both taught courses and research places from Disabled Students? Allowances (DSAs). Find out more at Directgov