A guide to master's degree loans in the UK

If you’re looking to study a master's degree in the UK, you could be eligible to get funding for your studies.

A postgraduate Master’s Loan can help you with your course fees as well as your everyday living costs while you study for your masters degree.

If you have a disability, you can also get extra help with your studies.

Funding for master's degree loans in the UK varies according to whether you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Here’s a guide to master's degree loans in the UK:

England

If you live in England, you can apply for a Master’s Loan to help you fund your master's degree.

With a Master’s Loan, you can get up to £11,570 towards your tuition fees and living costs.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible for a Master’s Loan in England, you need to be:

• Studying a taught or research-based part-time or full-time master's course of minimum 180 credits. Eligible courses include distance learning courses.
• Aged under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course.
• Able to meet the nationality and residency conditions.
• A student who hasn’t already received funding for previous postgraduate studies. However, you might still be eligible if you weren’t able to complete your previous course because of serious personal reasons, such as illness or bereavement.

You can find out more about eligibility criteria.

Wales

If you live in Wales and want to study a part-time or full-time master's course, you can apply for Postgraduate Master's Finance. With this funding, you could be eligible for up to £17,489 as a combination of grant and loan, depending on your income.

You can find out how much you can get and how to repay your student loan.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible for a master's degree loan in Wales, you need to be:

• Able to meet the nationality and residency conditions.
• Aged under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course.
• Studying a taught or research-based part-time or full-time master's course of minimum 180 credits. Eligible courses include distance learning courses.
• A student who hasn’t already received funding for previous postgraduate studies.

You can find out more about eligibility criteria.

Northern Ireland

If you live in Northern Ireland, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to help you fund your master's course.

The Tuition Fee Loan will cover all or part of your course fees, up to a maximum of £5,500. How much you get depends on the length and cost of your chosen master's course.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan in Northern Ireland, you need to be:

• Able to meet the nationality and residency conditions.
• Studying for a postgraduate certificate (PgCert), postgraduate diploma (PgDip), or master's degree. Eligible courses include part-time and full-time courses (up to a maximum of 3 academic years) and distance learning courses.
• Studying a taught or research-based postgraduate course at a publicly-funded institution anywhere in the UK.
• A student who hasn’t already received funding for previous postgraduate studies. However, you might still be eligible if you were unable to complete your previous course because of compelling personal reasons.

You can find out more about eligibility criteria.

The University of Hull Online offers a range of online master's courses that you can apply for funding for if you live in the UK. Contact our team of course advisers for advice and information on your eligibility and how to apply.