Postgraduate Loans for Doctoral Study

Eligible students can borrow up to £28,673 (2023/24) (External Link)

Am I eligible?

• UK and EU nationals who have been resident in England for three years prior to starting their doctoral programme
• You need to be under 60 at the time you register for your programme
• Your previous highest level qualification must be below Doctoral level
• You are keeping to the repayment terms of your previous student loans
• You are not in receipt of  Research Council funding, a Social Work bursary, are eligible for an NHS bursary

What’s not included?

• Programmes where you are resident outside the UK for more than 50% of your degree
• Distance-learners not resident in England at the start of their programme and in the UK for the remainder
• Top-up programmes
• Doctorates by publication

The loans will be available for programmes including PhD/DPhil, EdD, EngD and integrated doctoral programmes. The programme can be taught or research-based, or a combination of both. All disciplines and subject areas are eligible. Loans will be available for full-time, part-time and distance learning. The loans cover split-site programmes as long as Kent is the lead institution and provided you spend at least 50% of your study time in the UK. The loans are not means tested and are paid directly into your UK bank account.

The earliest you’ll start repaying is either:

• the April after you leave your course
• the April 4 years after the course started, if you’re studying part-time

Repayments will be income contingent and made concurrently with undergraduate and Master’s loans. Details on repayment rates and rates of interest are available at https://www.gov.uk/repaying-your-student-loan/what-you-pay.