phd student loan uk

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Doctoral Loan

How to apply.

You can apply now for courses that start or started in the following academic years:

• 2024 to 2025
• 2023 to 2024

Check whether you’re eligible before you apply.

You only need to apply once for the Postgraduate Doctoral Loan. Student Finance England will write to you in the summer to tell you how much you’ll get in the next academic year.

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.

Apply online

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 .

Apply by post

If you cannot apply online, apply by post – the address is on the form.

Courses that start in the 2024 to 2025 academic year

Fill in the ‘Postgraduate Doctoral Loan application form - 2024 to 2025’   

Read the ‘Terms and conditions - 2024 to 2025’

Courses that started in the 2023 to 2024 academic year

Fill in the ‘Postgraduate Doctoral Loan application form - 2023 to 2024’   

Read the ‘Terms and conditions - 2023 to 2024’

Courses that started before 1 August 2023

Contact Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team if you cannot apply online.

Read the student finance privacy notice to find out how the information you provide will be used.

When to apply by

The deadline for applying depends on when you start your course.

You need to apply within 9 months of the first day of the last academic year of the course.

The academic year

The academic year is a period of 12 months.

If your course started on 17 October 2022 and you’re studying for 3 years, you need to apply before 31 May 2025.

Proof of identity

If you’re a UK national, include your valid UK passport details in your application. If you cannot apply online or need to send the details afterwards, fill in the passport details form for the year your course starts. Do not send the passport itself.

If you do not have a UK passport (or it has expired), send your original birth or adoption certificate to Student Finance England.

Include your name and address. You should also include your customer reference number if you have one. This is an 11-digit number. You can find it on letters or emails you’ve had from Student Finance England.

Fill in the ‘UK passport details form - 2024 to 2025’

Fill in the ‘UK passport details form - 2023 to 2024’

If you have a different nationality or you live outside the UK

You need to provide details from one of the following when you apply:

national identity card

biometric residence card 

biometric residence permit

Supporting information

You should use the evidence return form for extra information to support your application, for example evidence of your residency status.

You may also be asked to complete the UK employment status form.

Fill in the ‘Document return form - 2024 to 2025’

Fill in the ‘UK employment form - 2024 to 2025’

Fill in the ‘Document return form - 2023 to 2024’

Fill in the ‘UK employment form - 2023 to 2024’

Change an application

Use your online account to change your personal details, for example bank or contact details. Contact Student Finance England directly if you do not have an account.

Change the amount you’ve asked for

Use the loan request form to change the amount you’ve applied for - you cannot do this online.

Courses that start in the 2024 to 2025 academic year:

Fill in the ‘Loan request form - 2024 to 2025’

Courses that started in the 2023 to 2024 academic year:

Fill in the ‘Loan request form - 2023 to 2024’

Other changes

Use the change of circumstances form if you need to change any other details, for example your university or course. You cannot do this online.

Fill in the ‘Change of circumstances form - 2024 to 2025’

Fill in the ‘Change of circumstances form - 2023 to 2024’

Taking a break or withdrawing from your course

Contact Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team and your institution straight away if you need to withdraw from your course. It may affect your future payments and eligibility for funding.

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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 .