If you ordinarily live in Wales and intend to start a PhD in September 2024 then you may be eligible to apply for a postgraduate doctoral loan from Student Finance Wales.

What funding is available?

If you meet the eligibility criteria then you could get a loan to help with your course costs, such as tuition fees, and your general living costs.

The maximum postgraduate doctoral loan available from Student Finance Wales for students who start a course in September 2024 is £28,655.

Payment of this loan will be divided equally across each year of your course. Each year’s entitlement is then paid directly to you in three instalments; one at the start of each term.

Eligibility

Whether you can receive postgraduate funding from Student Finance Wales will depend on:

• your nationality and residency
• your course
• your university or college
• your age
• your previous study
• if you are receiving other funding, such as an NHS bursary or Social Work bursary

More details about the eligibility criteria can be found at Student Finance Wales.

Additional funding from Student Finance Wales

Depending on your personal circumstances there may be additional funding available to you via the Disabled Students Allowance if you have a disability or long-term health condition. Please visit Student Finance Wales for more information.

How to apply for funding

The application process for students who are ordinarily resident in Wales and who intend to start a course in September 2024 is expected to open in May/June 2024.

You can apply for the loan in any year of your course but if you apply after your first year, you might not get the maximum amount.

Additional funding

• Doctoral training initiatives

Cost of living in Cardiff

Cardiff is considered to be one of the most affordable UK cities to live in while you study. See our living cost calculator for the average cost of living in Cardiff as a full time, postgraduate student.

Repaying a postgraduate loan

Those who take a postgraduate loan via Student Finance Wales in academic year 24/25 will repay this under the Postgraduate Loan Plan.

If you are repaying any undergraduate loans (tuition fee loan and/or maintenance loan), the postgraduate loan repayments will be taken in addition to undergraduate loan repayments. This means you could be repaying both your Undergraduate and Postgraduate loans simultaneously if you earn above the repayment threshold.

You can find out more information about how postgraduate loans are repaid.

If you ordinarily live in England and intend to start a PhD in September 2024 then you may be eligible to apply for a postgraduate doctoral loan from Student Finance England.

What funding is available?

If you meet the eligibility criteria then you could get a loan to help with your course costs, such as tuition fees, and your general living costs.

The maximum postgraduate doctoral loan available from Student Finance England for students who start a course in September 2024 is £29,390.

Payment of this loan will be divided equally across each year of your course. Each year’s entitlement is then paid directly to you in three instalments; one at the start of each term.

Eligibility

Whether you can receive postgraduate funding from Student Finance England will depend on:

• your nationality and residency
• your course
• your university or college
• your age
• your previous study
• if you are receiving other funding, such as an NHS bursary or Social Work bursary

More details about the eligibility criteria can be found at Student Finance England.

• you can submit an application through your Student Finance England account.
• you only need to apply once for the Postgraduate Doctoral Loan.

For full details and to apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan visit the Gov.uk website.

Additional funding from Student Finance England

Depending on your personal circumstances there may be additional funding available to you via the Disabled Students Allowance if you have a disability or long-term health condition. Please visit Student Finance England for more information.

How to apply for funding

The application process for students who are ordinarily resident in Wales and who intend to start a course in September 2024 is expected to open in May/June 2024.

You can apply for the loan in any year of your course but if you apply after your first year, you might not get the maximum amount.

Additional funding

• Doctoral training initiatives

Cost of living in Cardiff

Cardiff is considered to be one of the most affordable UK cities to live in while you study. See our living cost calculator for the average cost of living in Cardiff as a full-time, postgraduate student.

Repaying a postgraduate loan

Those who take a postgraduate loan via Student Finance England in academic year 24/25 will repay this under the Postgraduate Loan Plan.

If you are repaying any undergraduate loans (tuition fee loan and/or maintenance loan), the postgraduate loan repayments will be taken in addition to undergraduate loan repayments.  This means you could be repaying both your Undergraduate and Postgraduate loans simultaneously if you earn above the repayment threshold.

You can find out more information about how postgraduate loans are repaid here.