If you're a UK student who lives in England, or an EU student starting in Jan/Feb 2021, and you don't receive a Research Council living allowance, you may be able to take out a non-means-tested loan of up to £26,445 if starting in 2020-21 to help you cover the cost of a PhD. You must be aged under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of the course. EU students, please note, owing to Brexit you may not be eligible for this loan if you start a PhD in September 2021.
Repaying student loans
The Postgraduate Doctoral Loan will not need to be repaid until you have finished your course (or withdrawn) and are earning more than £21,000 per year. You will pay 6% of your income over the threshold of £21,000 per year. If your income falls below £21,000, your repayments will stop. The interest on the loan will be calculated at the Retail Price Index (RPI) plus 3% on all outstanding PhD Loan balances. Repayments will be made concurrently with any other student loans such as undergraduate loans.
How to apply
You can apply online or by post.
At a glance
| Maximum value: |
£26,445 (2020/21 starters) |
| Open to: | UK students; EU students starting in Jan 2021 |
| Studying at level: | PhD |
| The information on this page applies to students starting courses in these academic years (as indicated): |
2020-21 |