Finance and funding for postgraduate students

Find out more about what funding options are available to you as a taught postgraduate student

Thinking of starting a postgraduate course this year? You could get help to pay for your course and living costs.

You could be eligible to get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan of up to £11,836*

We also have a variety of scholarships and discounts available for our postgraduate taught and research students. Please see what options are available which you may be eligible to apply for.

Please note: Students who are eligible for multiple scholarships, awards, or discounts by the University of Plymouth will only qualify for the highest amount awarded. Where a student may qualify for the alumni discount and a scholarship then the highest award only will be applied.

*subject to amount changing each academic year and course chosen to study.

<p>Postgraduate. Getty Images</p>
<p>Contact the Graduation Team</p>

Alumnus loyalty reward for postgraduate study

Automatically awarded – no need to apply
The University applies a discretionary alumnus reward where alumni meet certain criteria on particular postgraduate taught courses.
  • A 20% discount on home tuition fees (10% for MSc Research Methods in Psychology, MSc/PgCert/PgDip Clinical Psychology, MSc/PgDip Psychology and MSc Occupational Therapy Pre-Registration, MSc Physiotherapy Pre-Registration).
  • Or a £2,000 discount on international tuition fees.
If you have previously studied at the University of Plymouth or at one of our partner colleges, you may be entitled to our Alumnus discount to help towards the tuition fees of your Postgraduate Taught course. For further details, programme exclusions and contact information, please see our fees policy.

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Postgraduate Masters Loans (PGML)

Thinking of starting a postgraduate master’s course this year? You could get help to pay for your course and living costs.
You can find more information on the gov.uk website.

When the programme started Maximum loan fee amount
On or after 1 August 2022–2023 academic year £11,836*
*subject to amount changing each academic year.

Am I eligible for a postgraduate master’s loan? 
If you have a loan from a previous undergraduate course this will not affect your eligibility for applying for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan. 
It can depend on your age, course, existing funding, previous study, nationality or residency status to be eligible for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan. To check your eligibility please refer to the Government website.
How to apply?
You can apply online for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan to Government website at www.gov.uk/masters-loan. Please remember to check your eligibility before applying.
Other exclusions
  • You will not be eligible for Postgraduate Master’s 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 Master’s (or qualification equivalent or higher) degree already.
  • A Postgraduate Master’s Loan is not available to students wanting to ‘top-up’ a lower level qualification to a Master’s 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 Master’s 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)
  • Integrated Master’s
All information about the Postgraduate Master’s Loan can be found either through The Student Room or through the Government websites.

Further advice and information

Funding for care leavers

If you're a care leaver there are lots of extra funding options to help you to pay for your studies.

Find out more on our care leavers page

Funding for disabled students

If you have a disability there are a number of disability-related financial support benefits you may be able to access subject to eligibility. The following links provide detailed information to support you:

Disabled Students’ Allowance

Santander scholarships

The University has officially launched a number of new scholarships courtesy of its partnership with Santander Group.

The scholarships range from £200 to £5,000 and they include funding for research projects in the UK and overseas; language exchange programmes; funding for strategic sectors such as ocean renewable energy projects; and initiatives to promote volunteering and the development of employability skills.

Visit the Santander scholarships pages for further information.

Programme-related scholarships

More information on programme scholarships can be found on our subject and course specific funding page.

Programmes include:

  • Law
  • International relations
  • Business and management.

Professoriate Scholarships

Professoriate Scholarships of £1,000 are awarded to selected students undertaking postgraduate study in Plymouth Business School or the School of Law, Criminology and Government each year.

The opportunity to apply for a professoriate scholarship is available to applicants currently in receipt of an offer for postgraduate study.

Find out more and how to apply

The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding

This resource is recommended for anyone looking for alternative financial support towards funding postgraduate study. Current students can access by using their student email address and graduates or non-Plymouth students can also access the platform by typing in a PIN.

To access the platform, register with your email address and the following pin number if required: 8337. Once registered, you will be sent a password to gain full access.

Find out more about the Alternative Guide

Further finance and funding information that could help you

Funding for Postgraduate study: https://www.gov.uk/funding-for-postgraduate-study

Student Finance England: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/student-finance/postgraduate-masters-loan

Government website for Postgraduate Master’s Loan: https://www.gov.uk/masters-loan

Student Loans Company: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/student-loans-company

Repaying your Postgraduate Master’s Loan back: https://www.gov.uk/repaying-your-student-loan

Postgraduate Doctoral Loan: https://www.gov.uk/doctoral-loan

Studentships (research): https://www.ukri.org/our-work/developing-people-and-skills/find-studentships-and-doctoral-training/get-a-studentship-to-fund-your-doctorate/

Teacher Training (ITT, PGCE, SCITT): https://www.gov.uk/teacher-training-funding

Social Work Bursary: https://www.gov.uk/social-work-bursaries

Postgraduate scholarships for international students

We offer scholarships for international students who wish to study postgraduate taught (PGT) degree programmes.

Find out about the postgraduate scholarships available to you as an international student

Postgraduate international scholarships from the School of Psychology

International students who have met the conditions of their University of Plymouth offer of study will be eligible to receive the School of Psychology Postgraduate Platinum Scholarship to help towards the cost of tuition fees.

Find out whether you are eligible and how you can apply