Postgraduate funding

About the project

Our guide to postgraduate funding outlines the options available, providing information and links to funding resources that could make postgraduate study a reality for you.

Also, for Marjon alumni there is a 20% discount when you progress from our undergraduate to postgraduate programmes (this discount does not apply to PGCE).

Postgraduate loans in England

A Postgraduate Loan (PGL) of up to £13,206 (figure based on courses starting in the academic year 2026/27) This is available for students starting an eligible Postgraduate Master’s course. It is not means-tested meaning the amount you can receive does not depend on your financial background. You choose how you use it to pay your course fees and living costs - there is no tuition fee element of it paid to the university so you will need to plan for these costs. You will be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from early summer in the year you are starting your Masters course. You only need to apply once per course – there is no need to apply each year. For more information regarding the Postgraduate Loan and how to apply please visit the GOV.UK website. For further information regarding Plymouth Marjon University tuition fees for Masters and PGCE courses please see our student finance, fees and funding webpage. It is important to plan early how you will fund yourself, beyond the postgraduate loan, if you decide to study for a postgraduate degree. If you want advice early on, please contact us at studentfunding@marjon.ac.uk or attend the fees and funding talks at our postgraduate open events.

A Postgraduate Loan (PGL) of up to £13,206 (figure based on courses starting in the academic year 2026/27) This is available for students starting an eligible Postgraduate Master’s course. It is not means-tested meaning the amount you can receive does not depend on your financial background. You choose how you use it to pay your course fees and living costs - there is no tuition fee element of it paid to the university so you will need to plan for these costs. You will be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from early summer in the year you are starting your Masters course. You only need to apply once per course – there is no need to apply each year.

For more information regarding the Postgraduate Loan and how to apply please visit the GOV.UK website.

For further information regarding Plymouth Marjon University tuition fees for Masters and PGCE courses please see our student finance, fees and funding webpage.

It is important to plan early how you will fund yourself, beyond the postgraduate loan, if you decide to study for a postgraduate degree. If you want advice early on, please contact us at studentfunding@marjon.ac.uk or attend the fees and funding talks at our postgraduate open events.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for a postgraduate loan your course must award a full masters degree, usually worth 180 UK credits. It must be a postgraduate course and not part of a longer, four year, undergraduate masters. It cannot last longer than 2 years full-time or 4 years part-time. Eligible courses include MSc, MA and MRes. You'll still be eligible if you have a PGCE or a postgraduate diploma or certificate. You have to be aged under 60 before the first day of the first academic year of the programme. Having a loan from a previous undergraduate course won’t affect your eligibility for the postgraduate loan – unless you have outstanding arrears. You can only get a loan if you don’t already have a postgraduate Masters qualification or a higher level qualification like a PHD. For further eligibility information including nationality and residence status can be found here .

To be eligible for a postgraduate loan your course must award a full masters degree, usually worth 180 UK credits. It must be a postgraduate course and not part of a longer, four year, undergraduate masters. It cannot last longer than 2 years full-time or 4 years part-time. Eligible courses include MSc, MA and MRes.

You'll still be eligible if you have a PGCE or a postgraduate diploma or certificate.

You have to be aged under 60 before the first day of the first academic year of the programme. Having a loan from a previous undergraduate course won’t affect your eligibility for the postgraduate loan – unless you have outstanding arrears. You can only get a loan if you don’t already have a postgraduate Masters qualification or a higher level qualification like a PHD.

For further eligibility information including nationality and residence status can be found here .

Postgraduate loan repayments

The earliest you start repaying your PGL is when your annual income is over £21,000 and it's either the first April after you leave your course or April 4 years after the course started. You'll pay back 6% of your income over the minimum amount ('threshold'). You must repay any undergraduate student loans you have at the same time. You can make voluntary repayments at any time. Any PG Loan balance will be written off 30 years after the date you enter repayment. Further repayment information available here .

• The earliest you start repaying your PGL is when your annual income is over £21,000 and it's either the first April after you leave your course or April 4 years after the course started.
• You'll pay back 6% of your income over the minimum amount ('threshold').
• You must repay any undergraduate student loans you have at the same time.
• You can make voluntary repayments at any time.
• Any PG Loan balance will be written off 30 years after the date you enter repayment.
• Further repayment information available here .

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

There are separate postgraduate loans if you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland They are available to students who are ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland and provide up to £6,500. Wales Welsh-resident UK students can borrow up to £19,635 (2026-27 figures) as a combination of grant and loan for taught and research Master's degrees across the UK. Scotland Scotland offers postgraduate loans of up to £13,900 (2026-27 figures) for Master's degree and postgraduate diploma students beginning study at any UK university (if the course is not available in Scotland). Scotland offers two separate postgraduate loans for tuition fees and living costs. Their eligibility criteria differ slightly.

There are separate postgraduate loans if you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland They are available to students who are ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland and provide up to £6,500.

Wales Welsh-resident UK students can borrow up to £19,635 (2026-27 figures) as a combination of grant and loan for taught and research Master's degrees across the UK.

Scotland Scotland offers postgraduate loans of up to £13,900 (2026-27 figures) for Master's degree and postgraduate diploma students beginning study at any UK university (if the course is not available in Scotland). Scotland offers two separate postgraduate loans for tuition fees and living costs. Their eligibility criteria differ slightly.

Doctoral loans

Student Finance England provide a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan (PDL) for students undertaking a full postgraduate Doctoral course such as a PhD. Students starting an eligible course could be eligible for up to £31,122. The amount you'll get is not based on your or your family's income. The loan is paid directly to the student for them to use towards their course fees and living costs. For further details including eligibility and how to apply please visit the GOV.uk website linked. The UCAS website also gives further information regarding the PDL. Student Finance Wales also offers a PDL. Further information can be found here .

Student Finance England provide a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan (PDL) for students undertaking a full postgraduate Doctoral course such as a PhD.

Students starting an eligible course could be eligible for up to £31,122. The amount you'll get is not based on your or your family's income. The loan is paid directly to the student for them to use towards their course fees and living costs.

For further details including eligibility and how to apply please visit the GOV.uk website linked. The UCAS website also gives further information regarding the PDL.

Student Finance Wales also offers a PDL. Further information can be found here .

Funding your teacher training course

PGCE students can receive funding from Student Finance England. Previous undergraduate funding is not taken into account. You can apply for the same type of funding as undergraduate students – tuition fee loan, maintenance loan (standard amount and higher income assessed amount) and any relevant grants. In some cases funding is available towards teacher training courses and here is a link to funding opportunities for the academic year 2026 to 2027 . As a quick guide, the following bursaries are available for UK students in 2026/27: Course name Bursary amount PGCE with Biology £5,000 PGCE with Geography £5,000 PGCE with Modern Foreign Languages £20,000 PGCE with Chemistry £29,000 PGCE with Maths £29,000 PGCE with Physics £29,000 Please refer to our fees and funding page for further information regarding teacher training funding.

PGCE students can receive funding from Student Finance England. Previous undergraduate funding is not taken into account. You can apply for the same type of funding as undergraduate students – tuition fee loan, maintenance loan (standard amount and higher income assessed amount) and any relevant grants.

In some cases funding is available towards teacher training courses and here is a link to funding opportunities for the academic year 2026 to 2027 .

As a quick guide, the following bursaries are available for UK students in 2026/27:

Course name | Bursary amount

PGCE with Biology | £5,000

PGCE with Geography | £5,000

PGCE with Modern Foreign Languages | £20,000

PGCE with Chemistry | £29,000

PGCE with Maths | £29,000

PGCE with Physics | £29,000

Please refer to our fees and funding page for further information regarding teacher training funding.

Other options

Here are some further postgraduate funding resources: POSTGRAD.com offer £500 bursaries across a number of different subject areas to students across the UK. Visit their website for more details . For other types of funding including research council grants, employer sponsorship, crowd funding and more see the Prospects postgraduate funding guide . A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan is also available from SFE.

Here are some further postgraduate funding resources:

• POSTGRAD.com offer £500 bursaries across a number of different subject areas to students across the UK. Visit their website for more details .
• For other types of funding including research council grants, employer sponsorship, crowd funding and more see the Prospects postgraduate funding guide .
• A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan is also available from SFE.

Phone us

01752 636891 (ext. 5516)

Email us

Debra and Kathryn - Student Funding team

studentfunding@marjon.ac.uk

Research areas