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A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course, such as a PhD.

You can also get extra support if you have a disability.

You will not be eligible for an Adult Dependants鈥� Grant, a Childcare Grant or Parents鈥� Learning Allowance from Student Finance if you鈥檙e studying a doctoral course.

When you can apply

You can now apply for funding for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

When you repay your loan

You鈥檒l have to start repaying your loan when your income is over a certain amount (the 鈥榯hreshold鈥� amount).

You鈥檒l be charged interest from the day you get the first payment.

You can get up to:

• 拢29,390 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2024
• 拢28,673 if your course started between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024
• 拢27,892 if your course started between 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023

The amount you鈥檒l get is not based on you or your family鈥檚 income.

The loan is paid directly to you. You can use it for your course fees and living costs.

The loan will be divided equally across each year of your course.

If you apply after your first year

You can apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan in any year of your course. But if you apply after your first year, you might not get the maximum amount.

You can get up to:

• 拢12,471 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2024
• 拢12,167 if your course started between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024
• 拢11,836 if your course started between 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023

When you鈥檙e paid

You get the first payment after your course start date, once your university or college confirms that you鈥檝e registered.

The loan will be paid in 3 instalments of 33%, 33% and 34% each year. After your application has been approved you鈥檒l be sent a letter with your payment dates or you can check them in your online account.

Whether you qualify depends on:

• your course
• your age
• your nationality or residency status

You will not be able to get a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan if:

• you鈥檝e received or will receive Research Council funding (for example, studentships, stipends, scholarships and tuition fee support)
• you鈥檙e already getting a social work bursary
• you鈥檙e already getting an Educational Psychology bursary and your course starts on or after 1 August 2020
• you鈥檙e eligible to apply for an NHS bursary (even if you鈥檙e not receiving it)
• you鈥檙e already getting payments from Student Finance England for another course that you鈥檙e studying
• you鈥檝e received a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan before - unless you left your course due to illness, bereavement or another serious personal reason
• you already have a doctoral degree, or a qualification that鈥檚 equivalent or higher
• you鈥檙e receiving a doctorate by publication
• you鈥檙e behind in repayments for any previous loans from the Student Loans Company

Your course

It must:

• be a full, standalone doctoral course (not a top-up course)
• have started on or after 1 August 2018
• last between 3 to 8 academic years
• be provided by a university in the UK with research degree awarding powers

If more than one university delivers your course and one is overseas, you鈥檒l still be eligible for the Postgraduate Doctoral Loan so long as:

• the UK university is the lead institution
• you spend at least 50% of your study time over the whole course in the UK

It can be:

• full-time or part-time
• taught or research-based, or a combination of both

Examples of postgraduate doctoral qualifications include:

• PhD / DPhil (Doctor of Philosophy)
• EdD (Doctor of Education)
• EngD (Doctor of Engineering)

Integrated doctorals

You can apply for a loan if your doctoral programme includes an integrated master鈥檚 degree (even if you already have a master鈥檚 degree).

You must register for a full doctoral degree.

Distance learning

To qualify for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan for distance learning, you鈥檒l need to be living in England on the first day of the first academic year of your course.

You鈥檒l also need to live in:

• England for the whole of your course, if you鈥檙e an EU national
• the UK for the whole of your course, if you鈥檙e not an EU national

This usually does not apply if you鈥檙e:

• serving in the armed forces
• a spouse or civil partner of a serving member of the armed forces
• a dependent parent living with a serving member of the armed forces

Your age

You must be under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course.

The academic year is a period of 12 months starting on:

• 1 September, if your course starts between 1 August and 31 December
• 1 January, if your course starts between 1 January and 31 March
• 1 April, if your course starts between 1 April and 30 June
• 1 July, if your course starts between 1 July and 31 July

Your nationality or residency status

You can apply for the Postgraduate Doctoral Loan if all of the following are true:

• you鈥檙e 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鈥檝e 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 might also be eligible if you鈥檙e a UK national (or family member of a UK national) and you鈥檝e been living in the UK, the EU, Gibraltar, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein for the past 3 years. To be eligible, you must have either:

• returned to the UK on or after 1 January 2018 and by 31 December 2020 after living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
• been living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein on 31 December 2020

If you鈥檙e an EU national or a family member of an EU national

You may be eligible if you鈥檙e an EU national, or a family member of an EU national, and all the following apply:

• you have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (no restrictions on how long you can stay)
• you鈥檝e normally lived in the UK, the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland or overseas territories for the past 3 years (this is also known as being 鈥榦rdinarily resident鈥�)
• you鈥檒l be studying at a university in England

You could also be eligible if you鈥檙e:

• the child of a Swiss national and you and your parent have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
• a migrant worker from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein with pre-settled status, or a family member of a migrant worker where both have settled or pre-settled status
• a resident of Gibraltar who is a UK or EU national, or their family member
• an EU national and have pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme and lived in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for the past 3 years

Student finance for EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic or Liechtenstein nationals from August 2021

If you started a course on or after 1 August 2021, you usually need to have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to get student finance.

You need to have started living in the UK by 31 December 2020 to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. The deadline to apply was 30 June 2021. If you鈥檙e joining family members in the UK who have settled status, you can apply for student finance before you have been granted pre-settled status.

Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme. They can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme if they wish to - for example, to apply on behalf of a child.

If you have a different residency status

You may also be eligible if your residency status is one of the following:

• refugee (including family members)
• humanitarian protection (including family members)
• child of a Turkish worker who has permission to stay in the UK - you and your Turkish worker parent must have been living in the UK by 31 December 2020
• a stateless person (including family members)
• an unaccompanied child granted 鈥楽ection 67 leave鈥� under the Dubs Amendment
• a child who is under the protection of someone granted 鈥楽ection 67 leave鈥�, who is also allowed to stay in the UK for the same period of time as the person responsible for them (known as 鈥榣eave in line鈥�)
• granted 鈥楥alais leave鈥� to remain
• a child of someone granted 鈥楥alais leave鈥� to remain, who is also allowed to stay in the UK for the same period of time as their parent (known as 鈥榣eave in line鈥�)
• you鈥檝e been given settled status but not under the EU Settlement Scheme
• you, your parent or step-parent have been granted settlement (鈥榠ndefinite leave to enter鈥� or 鈥榠ndefinite leave to remain鈥�) as a victim of domestic violence
• you, your parent or step-parent have been granted settlement (鈥榠ndefinite leave to remain鈥�) as a bereaved partner
• you or your family member have been granted leave under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) or the Afghan Citizen鈥檚 Resettlement Scheme (ACRS)
• you or your family member have been granted leave to enter or remain in the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme, the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme or the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme
• you鈥檙e a person of Chagossian descent and have British citizenship

If you鈥檙e a non-UK national and have lived in the UK for a certain number of years

You could also be eligible if you鈥檙e not a UK national and are either:

• under 18 and have lived in the UK for at least 7 years
• 18 or over and have lived in the UK for at least 20 years (or at least half of your life)

Both the following must also apply:

• you鈥檝e 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聽
• you had permission to enter or stay in the UK for those 3 years

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

• 2024 to 2025
• 2023 to 2024

Check whether you鈥檙e eligible before you apply.

You will not be eligible for an Adult Dependants鈥� Grant, a Childcare Grant or Parents鈥� Learning Allowance from Student Finance if you鈥檙e studying a doctoral course.

Apply online

If you鈥檝e taken out a loan with Student Finance England before, .

If you do not already have one, .

Apply by post

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

Courses that start in the 2024 to 2025 academic year

Fill in the 鈥楶ostgraduate Doctoral Loan application form - 2024 to 2025鈥�听听

Read the 鈥楾erms and conditions - 2024 to 2025鈥�

Courses that started in the 2023 to 2024 academic year

Fill in the 鈥楶ostgraduate Doctoral Loan application form - 2023 to 2024鈥�听听

Read the 鈥楾erms and conditions - 2023 to 2024鈥�

Courses that started before 1 August 2023

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

Read the 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.

Course start date between	First day of academic year
1 August and 31 December	1 September
1 January and 31 March	1 January
1 April and 30 June	1 April
1 July and 31 July	1 July

Example

Proof of identity

If you鈥檙e 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鈥檝e had from Student Finance England.

Courses that start in the 2024 to 2025 academic year

Fill in the 鈥楿K passport details form - 2024 to 2025鈥�

Courses that started in the 2023 to 2024 academic year

Fill in the 鈥楿K passport details form - 2023 to 2024鈥�

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:

• passport

• national identity card

• biometric residence card聽

• 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.

Courses that start in the 2024 to 2025 academic year

Fill in the 鈥楧ocument return form - 2024 to 2025鈥�

Fill in the 鈥楿K employment form - 2024 to 2025鈥�

Courses that started in the 2023 to 2024 academic year

Fill in the 鈥楧ocument return form - 2023 to 2024鈥�

Fill in the 鈥楿K employment form - 2023 to 2024鈥�

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鈥檝e asked for

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

Courses that start in the 2024 to 2025 academic year:

Fill in the 鈥楲oan request form - 2024 to 2025鈥�

Courses that started in the 2023 to 2024 academic year:

Fill in the 鈥楲oan request form - 2023 to 2024鈥�

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.

Courses that start in the 2024 to 2025 academic year:

Fill in the 鈥楥hange of circumstances form - 2024 to 2025鈥�

Courses that started in the 2023 to 2024 academic year:

Fill in the 鈥楥hange of circumstances form - 2023 to 2024鈥�

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.

You may qualify for other funding, for example grants from charities or trusts.

Student Finance England also has more information about .

Disabled students

If you have a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty (for example dyslexia) you can apply for:

• Disabled Students鈥� Allowance
• extra help if you鈥檙e experiencing financial hardship

You may also qualify for disability related benefits.

You can .

Contact Student Finance England if you have further questions.