Eligible students are able to apply for a postgraduate loan from the UK Government to help with the costs of masters courses.

Please note, this excludes MArch, PGCE, Integrated Masters, and students studying MSc Social Work who are in receipt of a social work bursary.

Student loans for Masters degrees are non means-tested. Students starting a course in 2022 can borrow up to £11,836 over the whole course. You will be expected to pay your own fees, there is no separate loan for these. Loans are paid directly to you in termly instalments, over the duration of your course.

 

Eligibility

Your course must:-

  • be a full, standalone master's course (not a top-up course)
  • be worth at least 180 credits - check the course provider's website if you're not sure
  • have started on or after 1 August 2016

Your course can be taught or research-based. It can be:

  • full-time, lasting 1 0r 2 academic years
  • part-time, lasting 2 to 4 years - no more than twice the length of the equivalent full-time course
  • part-time for up to 3 years, where no equivalent full time course exists.

In order to be eligible for a Postgraduate loan you must be:

  • you’re a UK national or Irish citizen or have settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme or indefinite leave to remain so there are no restrictions on how long you can stay
  • you normally live in England
  • you’ve been living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 years in a row before the first day of the first academic year of your course (apart from temporary absences such as holidays)

You may be eligible under different residency schemes so please visit https://www.gov.uk/masters-loan/eligibility for further information.


Separate schemes are also available for students from Wales, Northern Ireland, or Scotland.


You must be aged under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of the course, and you must have started your course in the academic year 2016/17 or later (i.e. on or after 1
August 2016).

 

Repayment

You repay your postgraduate loans based on your income once you have finished the course, but at a different rate to your undergraduate student loan. You only have to repay once you are earning over £21,000 per year, but you will repay 6% of your income above this threshold. If you are also repaying an undergraduate student loan you will pay two separate payments at the same time, one for each loan (so 6% of any income above £21,000 plus a further 9% of any income above £27,295)

 

Further Information

See the Government website for more information on postgraduate loans.

For further information on eligibility, payment, change of circumstances and repayment please contact the Student Finance Centre

General Enquiries: +44 (0)23 9284 3014

Email: studentfinance@port.ac.uk