Postgraduate loans
Postgraduate Loans
Non-means-tested loan
Postgraduate students with UK and EU residency taking a Master's or a Doctoral degree are eligible for a non-means-tested loan from Student Finance or SAAS. The loan will be a contribution towards the cost of study and can be used towards tuition fees, maintenance (living costs) or other course costs. You repay this loan once you have left university and are earning over the relevant income threshold.
The amount you can borrow varies depending on when your studies started, how long your degree is and where you live in the UK:
Masters students (On Campus)
| Postgraduate Master's Loans (On Campus Students): For residents of England and Wales | ||
|---|---|---|
| Start of your degree | One year full-time - maximum you can borrow | Two year degree - maximum you can borrow each year |
| September 2020 | £11,222 | £5,611 |
| September 2021 | £11,570 | £5,785 |
| September 2022 | £11,836 | £5,918 |
| September 2023 | £12,167 | £6,083.50 |
At SOAS, for September 2023, the Postgraduate Master's Loans will be for:
- MSc, MA, MMus, and LLM degrees (on campus, not distance learning)
- full-time or part-time over 2 years (not 3 years part-time)
- part-time over 4 years (NB: 4 year part time LLM are not eligible for support)
- up to £12,167 (up to £6,083.50 for each year of study on a 2-year degree)
Doctoral students
| Doctoral Loans : For residents of England and Wales | ||
|---|---|---|
| Start of your degree | Maximum you can borrow - Over 3 full time years / 6 Part Time years | |
| September 2020 | £26,445 | |
| September 2021 | £27,265 | |
| September 2022 | £27,892 | |
| September 2023 | £28,673 | |
At SOAS, for September 2023, the Postgraduate Doctoral Loans will be:
- for Doctoral (MPhil / PhD) degrees (on campus not distance learning)
- for full-time over 3 years or part-time over 6 years
- up to £28,673 in total paid equally over each year of study (over 3 or 6 years)
Distance learning students
| Distance Learning Postgraduate Loans : For residents of England and Wales | ||
|---|---|---|
| Start of your degree | Maximum you can borrow - Over 2/3 Part Time years | |
| September 2023 | £12,167 | |
At SOAS, for September 2023, the Postgraduate Master's Loans for Distance Learning students will be for:
- MSc, MA, (Distance learning only, not on-campus)
- part-time over 2 years or 3 years
- up to £12,167 split across either 2 or 3 years
Eligibility for the postgraduate loan
Applicants for Postgraduate Loans should be:
- UK nationals ordinarily resident in England or Wales*
- EU nationals ordinarily resident in England or Wales or the EU
- under 60 on 1 September preceding the start of the degree
- enrolling on their first Master’s or PhD degree and not have an equivalent or a higher level qualification
The applicant should have a valid National Insurance Number.
Full terms and conditions are available on the Student Finance website and eligibility is assessed by Student Finance.
*Residents of Scotland should apply directly to SAAS in the first instance. Please check the Student Finance website for information about Northern Ireland.
If you are eligible and before you proceed to apply. please review the available Student Finance courses at SOAS. SOAS degree programmes are listed in generic groups by duration, instead of by subject on the Student Finance database.