Funding for postgraduate research students

Fees and costs

• Fees and costs: Information about tuition fees and any additional costs for new and returning students.

Postgraduate Masters Loans (PGML)

When the programme started | Maximum loan fee amount

On or after 1 August 2024 | £12,471

On or after 1 August 2025 | £12,858

On or after 1 August 2026 | £13,206

Exclusions

• You will not be eligible for Postgraduate Masters Loan if you have outstanding student loan arrears or have previously been found to be ‘unfit’ for student support (e.g. because of attempted fraud).
• You will not be eligible if you already have a Masters (or qualification equivalent or higher) degree already.
• A Postgraduate Masters Loan is not available to students wanting to ‘top-up’ a lower level qualification to a Masters degree. The course must be a full standalone master’s course.
• You must register for the full 180 credits in order to receive the loan. Prior Accredited learning cannot be used to reduce the number of credits taken.
• Postgraduate Masters Loans are not available for postgraduate level courses such as PgCert (Postgraduate Certificate), PgDip (Postgraduate Diploma) or where the postgraduate course is funded by undergraduate student finance, such as: ITT (Initial Teacher Training) or Integrated Masters.

Postgraduate Doctoral Loans (PGDL)

When the programme started | Maximum loan amount

On or after 1 August 2023 | £28,673

On or after 1 August 2024 | £29,390

On or after 1 August 2025 | £30,301

On or after 1 August 2026 | £31,122

Further information

• PhD loans information on the Prospects website
• PhD loans information on the FindAPhD website

Additional funding

At Plymouth, there are a small number of scholarships available to postgraduate students

If you’re experiencing financial hardship due to extra costs, unexpected health issues or other factors, there may be bursaries and support funds that can help you.

• Additional funding for disabled students
• Additional funding for care leavers

Research areas