funding your postgraduate degree

If one of the things on your mind about a postgraduate course is finance, you may be surprised to learn that there are lots of options available to you.

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Fees, funding and payments

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Your fees will depend on three things:

  • The course you have chosen
  • The course's mode of study - part-time or full-time
  • Your residency status - UK, EU, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or international

For the most up-to-date information on the cost of your course, visit our course pages and if you have any specific questions regarding fees you can speak to our Fees team:

Find your course to see related fees

Students can benefit from Master's Loans, which are now available for many of our master's courses. Eligible courses starting in the 2024/25 academic year will allow eligible students to apply for up to £12,471. The loans, for both taught and research master's degrees, will be available for a number of our full-time, part-time and distance learning courses, across all disciplines and subject areas.

Aside from course eligibility, students also need to meet age, nationality and residency criteria. Eligible students can be UK or Irish nationals (or have indefinite leave to remain) and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for three years on the first day of the academic year of their course start date. They must have most recently been ordinarily resident in England, but borrowers must not have moved to England solely for the purposes of attending the course.

EU students and EEA migrant workers are also eligible if they have settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme and lived in the EU / EEA / Switzerland for three years before the start of the course and would need to study the course in England.

The amount you can apply for varies, depending on where in the UK you normally live. For full details regarding eligibility, please consult the Master's Loan eligibility page.

Find out more about the master's loan scheme
Female postgraduate student writing notes in the library

In 2023/24, Doctoral Loans of up to £28,673 are available for the length of the degree and this amount is not based on household income. The loan is paid directly to the student and payments will be divided equally across each year of the course.

Eligibility for the Doctoral Loan will require ensuring that requirements are met with respect to course type, age, nationality and residency.

Applications are made 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.

For more general information about the loan, eligibility criteria and how to apply, please consult the Doctoral Loan main page.

DOCTORAL LOANS
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Students studying a postgraduate pre-registration healthcare course are eligible for the same funding as undergraduate students, comprising of a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan. See Funding for Undergraduate Students for a breakdown of funding available. Additional funding will be available for students with dependants, childcare costs and a disability.

In addition to this main funding, students will be able to get extra help through the Learning Support Fund. The Learning Support Fund offers support through:

  • Training Grant - £5,000 per academic year (£6,000 for those on our Mental Health Nursing course)
  • Parental Support - £2,000 for students who have parental responsibility for children under 15 years or under 17 years if they are registered as requiring special educational needs
  • Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses - reimbursement for costs incurred over and above daily travel costs related to essential practice placement
  • Exceptional Support Fund - up to £3,000 available for students who are facing severe hardship

More information is available at NHSBSA Learning Support Fund.

We understand that it can be tricky to pay your fees in one lump sum. That's why we offer instalment options of two, three or seven payments, subject to conditions.

This option's available if your course lasts at least a full academic year and costs a minimum of £425 (based on 2021-22 fees).

The three instalments option is only available if you've taken out the postgraduate loan, to coincide with your loan payments. Please note, instalment arrangements are not available if your fees are paid by a sponsor or employer.

Please refer to the Postgraduate students section in the page below for more information.

TUITION FEES AND REPAYMENTS

Social Work students could get funding through a Social Work Bursary if they have a capped place.  If students are in receipt of this they cannot receive the Postgraduate Master's Loan as well.

Postgraduate Social Work Bursary FAQs

The postgraduate bursary consists of:

  • £4,052 contribution towards tuition fees per year
  • A basic grant of up to £3,362.50 per year
  • A means-tested grant of up to £2,721 per year

There are also grants available if students have an adult dependent or children, as well as help with childcare costs. See NHSBSA for more information and to apply.

Your funding options for this course will vary depending on whether you're a UK student studying full or part-time, or a full-time international student. 
 
If you’re a full-time UK student taking this MArch as continual study after your undergraduate degree, you’ll be eligible to apply to extend the financial support you accessed to complete your first degree. If you’re a part-time UK student, you’ll be able to apply for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan. If you're an overseas student, international scholarships may be available to you.
 
Please visit the RIBA funding advice page for full details.

Employer sponsorship

You may work for an employer who is prepared to help fund your postgraduate study as part of your staff training and development. Find out more at Prospects.

Research Councils

If your course is engaged in research, you can get help from the Arts and Humanities Research Board or from a Research Council. More information is available at the UK Research and Innovation

Charities and trust funds

You can apply for partial funding from charities and educational trusts, depending on what course you are taking. There are different forms of funding, including studentships, scholarships and bursaries. To find out more, visit Turn2us.

PGCE courses

If you are studying a full-time postgraduate course leading to Qualified Teacher Status you can apply to Student Finance England (or equivalent for students from Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland) for tuition fee and maintenance loans, supplementary grants and the Disabled Students’ Allowance. Part-time teacher training students can take out a tuition fee loan. Visit Student Finance England for information.

Alumni discount

If you are a graduate of Leeds Beckett University, you could be eligible for a 20% discount on your postgraduate study fees. Read the terms and conditions.

Disabled Students' Allowance

You may be eligible for a Disabled Students' Allowance of up to £26,291 per year. Our Disability Services team is your first point of contact to discuss any of your requirements. You can email them at: disabilityservices@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.

A group of students sat on chairs at a lecture hall.

The international fees for most of our Postgraduate courses is £17,500. However, some of our postgraduate courses vary in price. We recommend that you check the fees for your specific course by using our Course Finder. You can also visit our international website for more information on course fees as well as how much to budget for before arriving in the UK.

International scholarships

We also offer a range of international scholarships by country. To find out if you're eligible for a scholarship, please visit the page below and select your country from the dropdown list. 

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Someone budgeting on their mobile phone

Our Student Money team can provide advice about student funding, benefits and budgeting over the phone and at appointments.

Your fees will depend on three things:

  • The course you have chosen
  • The course's mode of study - part-time or full-time
  • Your residency status - UK, EU, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or international

For the most up-to-date information on the cost of your course, visit our course pages and if you have any specific questions regarding fees you can speak to our Fees team:

Male student wearing headphones on campus grounds

Students can benefit from Master's Loans, which are now available for many of our master's courses. Eligible courses starting in the 2024/25 academic year will allow eligible students to apply for up to £12,471. The loans, for both taught and research master's degrees, will be available for a number of our full-time, part-time and distance learning courses, across all disciplines and subject areas.

Aside from course eligibility, students also need to meet age, nationality and residency criteria. Eligible students can be UK or Irish nationals (or have indefinite leave to remain) and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for three years on the first day of the academic year of their course start date. They must have most recently been ordinarily resident in England, but borrowers must not have moved to England solely for the purposes of attending the course.

EU students and EEA migrant workers are also eligible if they have settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme and lived in the EU / EEA / Switzerland for three years before the start of the course and would need to study the course in England.

The amount you can apply for varies, depending on where in the UK you normally live. For full details regarding eligibility, please consult the Master's Loan eligibility page.

In 2023/24, Doctoral Loans of up to £28,673 are available for the length of the degree and this amount is not based on household income. The loan is paid directly to the student and payments will be divided equally across each year of the course.

Eligibility for the Doctoral Loan will require ensuring that requirements are met with respect to course type, age, nationality and residency.

Applications are made 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.

For more general information about the loan, eligibility criteria and how to apply, please consult the Doctoral Loan main page.

Female postgraduate student writing notes in the library

Students studying a postgraduate pre-registration healthcare course are eligible for the same funding as undergraduate students, comprising of a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan. See Funding for Undergraduate Students for a breakdown of funding available. Additional funding will be available for students with dependants, childcare costs and a disability.

In addition to this main funding, students will be able to get extra help through the Learning Support Fund. The Learning Support Fund offers support through:

  • Training Grant - £5,000 per academic year (£6,000 for those on our Mental Health Nursing course)
  • Parental Support - £2,000 for students who have parental responsibility for children under 15 years or under 17 years if they are registered as requiring special educational needs
  • Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses - reimbursement for costs incurred over and above daily travel costs related to essential practice placement
  • Exceptional Support Fund - up to £3,000 available for students who are facing severe hardship

More information is available at NHSBSA Learning Support Fund.

Girl in lab with lab coat on looking through a microscope

We understand that it can be tricky to pay your fees in one lump sum. That's why we offer instalment options of two, three or seven payments, subject to conditions.

This option's available if your course lasts at least a full academic year and costs a minimum of £425 (based on 2021-22 fees).

The three instalments option is only available if you've taken out the postgraduate loan, to coincide with your loan payments. Please note, instalment arrangements are not available if your fees are paid by a sponsor or employer.

Please refer to the Postgraduate students section in the page below for more information.

Social Work students could get funding through a Social Work Bursary if they have a capped place.  If students are in receipt of this they cannot receive the Postgraduate Master's Loan as well.

Postgraduate Social Work Bursary FAQs

The postgraduate bursary consists of:

  • £4,052 contribution towards tuition fees per year
  • A basic grant of up to £3,362.50 per year
  • A means-tested grant of up to £2,721 per year

There are also grants available if students have an adult dependent or children, as well as help with childcare costs. See NHSBSA for more information and to apply.

Your funding options for this course will vary depending on whether you're a UK student studying full or part-time, or a full-time international student. 
 
If you’re a full-time UK student taking this MArch as continual study after your undergraduate degree, you’ll be eligible to apply to extend the financial support you accessed to complete your first degree. If you’re a part-time UK student, you’ll be able to apply for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan. If you're an overseas student, international scholarships may be available to you.
 
Please visit the RIBA funding advice page for full details.

Employer sponsorship

You may work for an employer who is prepared to help fund your postgraduate study as part of your staff training and development. Find out more at Prospects.

Research Councils

If your course is engaged in research, you can get help from the Arts and Humanities Research Board or from a Research Council. More information is available at the UK Research and Innovation

Charities and trust funds

You can apply for partial funding from charities and educational trusts, depending on what course you are taking. There are different forms of funding, including studentships, scholarships and bursaries. To find out more, visit Turn2us.

PGCE courses

If you are studying a full-time postgraduate course leading to Qualified Teacher Status you can apply to Student Finance England (or equivalent for students from Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland) for tuition fee and maintenance loans, supplementary grants and the Disabled Students’ Allowance. Part-time teacher training students can take out a tuition fee loan. Visit Student Finance England for information.

Alumni discount

If you are a graduate of Leeds Beckett University, you could be eligible for a 20% discount on your postgraduate study fees. Read the terms and conditions.

Disabled Students' Allowance

You may be eligible for a Disabled Students' Allowance of up to £26,291 per year. Our Disability Services team is your first point of contact to discuss any of your requirements. You can email them at: disabilityservices@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.

The international fees for most of our Postgraduate courses is £17,500. However, some of our postgraduate courses vary in price. We recommend that you check the fees for your specific course by using our Course Finder. You can also visit our international website for more information on course fees as well as how much to budget for before arriving in the UK.

International scholarships

We also offer a range of international scholarships by country. To find out if you're eligible for a scholarship, please visit the page below and select your country from the dropdown list. 

A group of students sat on chairs at a lecture hall.

Our Student Money team can provide advice about student funding, benefits and budgeting over the phone and at appointments.

Someone budgeting on their mobile phone

Postgraduate master's loans explained

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take your next steps

If you're almost ready to jump into postgraduate study but still have a few questions to help you decide, we have you covered. There's lots of ways to get in touch -  you can call or email our admissions team, chat to one of our amazing student ambassadors or stay in touch by providing us with a few contact details to get all the latest information about courses, events and student life!