Postgraduate taught student finance
Find out about student finance support provided by the UK Government.
About a postgraduate masters loan
A postgraduate masters loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate taught course.
Funding for postgraduate loans is different outside of England. Please check the following websites for finance information in other parts of the UK:
What you can receive
You can get up to:
- £12,858 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2025
- £12,471 if your course started between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025
- £12,167 if your course started between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024.
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.
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.
Not all courses at the University of Surrey are eligible for postgraduate loan funding. Those that are excluded include:
- Postgraduate certificate or diploma courses
- Unstructured courses*
- Part-time courses*
- Distance learning courses.*
*Where the maximum period of registration is five years.
Contact the Student Records team for more information on whether your course is eligible.
Apply through the Government website
Receiving your loan
To receive the first payment of your loan, you’ll need to have fully completed registration here at the University (which includes part payment of tuition fees).
You get the first payment after your course start date, once we have confirmed you are registered with us.
If you have been accepted for the loan, and are having difficulties in paying your fees before your first instalment is due, please contact our Student Receivables team once you’ve received a tuition fee invoice.
Repaying your loan
You’ll start repaying your postgraduate loan once you are earning over a certain threshold. Find out more about when you will start repaying your loan.