Postgraduate taught student finance

Postgraduate masters loans

A postgraduate masters loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate taught course.

What you'll get

You can get up to:

• £12,167 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2023
• £11,836 if your course started between 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023
• £11,570 if your course started between 1 August 2021 and 31 July 2022
• £11,222 if your course started between 1 August 2020 and 31 July 2021
• £10,906 if your course started between 1 August 2019 and 31 July 2020
• £10,609 if your course started between 1 August 2018 and 31 July 2019.

This loan is non-means tested, i.e. the amount you can request is not dependent on your or your family's income. Your loan can be used towards the cost of your course fees and living expenses.

Eligibility

To be eligible, you will need to meet a number of eligibility criteria set by the Government including residency, age and course. See the full eligibility criteria.

Not all courses at the University of Surrey are eligible for postgraduate loan funding, for example, unstructured, part-time or distance learning courses where the maximum period of registration is five years are not eligible.

Contact the Student Records team for more information on whether your course is eligible.

Repayment

You’ll repay your postgraduate loan using a percentage of your income. Once you are earning more than £21,000 a year (or £1,750 a month), you’ll pay six per cent of the amount you earn above the £21,000 threshold.

You’ll be charged interest from the day you get the first payment.

Get more information on repaying your postgraduate loan.

How to apply

The quickest and easiest way to apply is through the Government's master's loans website.

Receiving your loan

To receive the first payment of your loan, you’ll need to have fully completed registration with the University (which includes part payment of tuition fees).

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

There are specific rules around students who transfer or repeat study and how this affects eligibility. For further information, please contact the Student Records team.

If you have been accepted for the Postgraduate Master's Loan, and are having difficulties in paying your fees before your first instalment is due, please contact our Student Finance team once you’ve received a tuition fee invoice.

Please be aware this page is a summary correct as of January 2023. For full details, please visit the Government website.