Postgraduate finance

Postgraduate study is an investment in both time and money, and tuition fees and other costs vary considerably between universities and colleges. To find out more about the sums involved, and whether any bursaries or grants might be available, first check direct with the university or college you are applying to.

The only guaranteed funding available is for programmes in social work, nursing and teaching; for all other postgraduate study you will need to compete for funds against other students, but if they are available make sure you find out how to apply, even if the process is competitive. postgraduate student

This page gives eight links to external websites, all of which open in new windows.

For UK students postgraduate funding falls into three categories: government; commercial and professional; and charities. Most government funding comes from the seven UK Research Councils). Applications for funding from a Research Council are normally arranged through the university department to which you are applying to study.

For more on postgraduate funding visit Postgraduate Studentships which provides a good source of funding information and specific postgraduate funding opportunities from both universities and colleges and general funding sources.

If you are an international student searching for financial information about studying in the UK, please visit the UKCISA website.

If you are disabled, you may be eligible for Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs), which are designed to help with the costs that you incur, in attending your course, as a direct result of your disability or specific learning difficulty. How much you get does not depend on your income or that of your household, and the allowance does not have to be repaid. For further information, if you are living in England, visit the Direct.Gov website; if you are living in Northern Ireland, visit Student Finance NI; if you are living in Scotland visit Student Awards Agency for Scotland; if you are living in Wales visit Student Finance Wales.

For advice on how to manage your money while studying, please visit the student finance pages of the UCAS website. These pages also include information about the different conditions in the various countries of the UK, information for international and EU students, student loans and budget calculators, and links to further advice.