I am looking at doing master's course in the UK. It is an Msc course that is eligible for a postgraduate loan. I do not know how much the loan is. The course will be starting on the 1st July 2020. How much funding is available for a postgraduate student?

You can get up to:

Master's Loan

Overview

A Postgraduate Master’s Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate master’s course.

Funding for postgraduate loans is different if:

you normally live in Scotland

you normally live in Wales

you normally live in Northern Ireland.

Moving somewhere to study does not count as normally living there.

You can also get extra support if you have a disability.

When you can apply

You’ll be able to apply for funding for the 2021 to 2022 academic year from summer 2021. Applications are not yet open - this guide will be updated as soon as they are.

When you repay your loan

You’ll have to start repaying your loan when your income is over a certain amount (the ‘threshold’ amount).

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

What you'll get

You can get up to:

£11,570 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2021

£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

The amount you’ll get is not based on your income or your family’s.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) may take account of the loan when working out any benefits you receive.

The loan is paid directly to you. You can use it for your course fees and living costs.

If your course lasts for more than a year, the loan will be divided equally across each year of your course.

When you’re paid

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

The loan will be paid in 3 instalments of 33%, 33% and 34% each year. After your application has been approved, you’ll be sent a letter with your payment dates. You can also check them in your online account.

If you change university or college

Your new university or college has to confirm the change with Student Finance England before you receive any more payments.

Eligibility

Whether you qualify depends on:

your course

your age

your nationality or residency status

You will not be able to get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if:

you’re already getting payments from Student Finance England for another course that you’re studying

you’ve received a loan or grant for a master’s course before - unless you got a Disabled Students’ Allowance or you left your course for a serious personal reason like illness or bereavement

you already have a master’s degree, or a qualification that’s equivalent or higher

you’re behind in repayments for any previous loans from the Student Loans Company

You’ll still be eligible if you have a PGCE or a postgraduate diploma or certificate.

You will not get extra money if you repeat a year of your course.

Your course

It must:

be a full, standalone master’s course (not a top-up course)

be worth at least 180 credits - check the course provider’s website if you’re not sure

have started on or after 1 August 2016

Your course must be provided by an eligible university or college in the UK (including the Open University). Check with the university or college that your course is registered.

Your course can be taught or research-based.

It can be:

full-time, lasting 1 or 2 academic years

part-time, lasting 2 to 4 academic years - no more than twice the length of the equivalent full-time course

part-time for up to 3 years, where no equivalent full-time course exists

Examples of postgraduate master’s qualifications include:

MSc (master of science)

MA (master of arts)

MPhil (master of philosophy)

MRes (master of research)

LLM (master of law)

MLitt (master of letters)

MFA (master of fine art)

MEd (master of education)

MBA (master of business administration)

You cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan for a postgraduate certificate or diploma.

Distance learning

To qualify for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan for distance learning, you’ll need to be living in England on the first day of the first academic year of your course. You’ll also need to live in:

England for the whole of your course, if you’re an EU national

the UK for the whole of your course, if you’re not an EU national

This usually does not apply if you’re:

serving in the armed forces

a spouse or civil partner of a serving member of the armed forces

a dependent parent living with a serving member of the armed forces

Integrated courses

You will not be eligible for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if your course is:

integrated with an undergraduate degree - apply for undergraduate funding instead

integrated with a doctoral degree - apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan instead

Intercalated year

You might be eligible for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if you’re taking a year out of an undergraduate course to study for a master’s.

This will generally mean you’re not entitled to undergraduate funding anymore because you’ll hold a higher level qualification.

You are still eligible for undergraduate funding if your course leads to a qualification in:

architecture

dentistry

medicine

social work

undergraduate Initial Teacher Training

veterinary science

Master of architecture

If you plan to study for a master of architecture (MArch Part 2) qualification full-time, apply for undergraduate funding support. Your course must be accredited by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) to be eligible.

You can only apply for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan to support your MArch course if one of the following applies:

you’re taking a part-time course

you’re not eligible for undergraduate funding support

the course does not lead to an accredited qualification as an architect

Healthcare and social work

You cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if you:

are eligible for an NHS bursary

get a Social Work Bursary - unless you only get a Placement Travel Allowance

This also applies for health and social work bursaries in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

You also cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if you’re starting a postgraduate pre-registration healthcare course on or after 1 August 2018. You may be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan instead.

Your age

You must be under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course.

The academic year is a period of 12 months starting on:

1 September, if your course starts between 1 August and 31 December

1 January, if your course starts between 1 January and 31 March

1 April, if your course starts between 1 April and 30 June

1 July, if your course starts between 1 July and 31 July

Your nationality or residency status

You can apply for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan if all of the following are true:

you’re a UK or Irish national or have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme or indefinite leave to remain so there are no restrictions on how long you can stay

you normally live in England

you’ve been living in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Ireland for 3 continuous years before the first day of your course, apart from temporary absences such as going on holiday

You may also be eligible if you’re a UK national (or family member of a UK national) who either:

returned to the UK on or after 1 January 2018 and by 31 December 2020 after living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

was living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein on 31 December 2020 and has been living in the UK, the EU, Gibraltar, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein for the past 3 years

If you’re an EU national or a family member of an EU national

You may be eligible if you’re an EU national, or a family member of an EU national, and all the following apply:

you have settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

you’ve normally lived in the UK, Gibraltar, EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein for the past 3 years (this is also known as being ‘ordinarily resident’)

you’ll be studying at a university or college in England

You could also be eligible if you’re:

the child of a Swiss national and you and your parent have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

a migrant worker from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein with pre-settled status, or a family member of a migrant worker where both have pre-settled status

a resident of Gibraltar who is a UK or EU national, or their family member

Student finance for EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic or Liechtenstein nationals from August 2021

If you’re starting a course on or after 1 August 2021, you must have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to get student finance.

You need to have started living in the UK before 31 December 2020 to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. If you’re coming to the UK from 1 January 2021, you may need to apply for a visa to study in the UK.

Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme. They can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme if they wish to, for example, to apply on behalf of a child.

If you have a different residency status

You may also be eligible if your residency status is one of the following:

refugee (including family members)

humanitarian protection (including family members)

child of a Turkish worker who has permission to stay in the UK - you and your Turkish worker parent must have been living in the UK by 31 December 2020

a stateless person (including family members)

an unaccompanied child granted ‘Section 67 leave’ under the Dubs Amendment

a child who is under the protection of someone granted ‘Section 67 leave’, who is also allowed to stay in the UK for the same period of time as the person responsible for them (known as ‘leave in line’)

granted ‘Calais leave’ to remain

a child of someone granted ‘Calais leave’ to remain, who is also allowed to stay in the UK for the same period of time as their parent (known as ‘leave in line’)

you’ve been given settled status but not under the EU Settlement Scheme

you’ve been given indefinite leave to remain because you’ve been the victim of domestic violence

you’ve been granted indefinite leave to remain as a bereaved partner

you’re the family member of a person of Northern Ireland and you have pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

If you’re a non-UK national and have lived in the UK for a certain number of years

You could also be eligible if you’re not a UK national and are either:

under 18 and have lived in the UK for at least 7 years

18 or over and have lived in the UK for at least 20 years (or at least half of your life)

You must have been living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 continuous years before the first day of your course.

How to apply

You can apply now for courses that start or started in the following academic years:

2020 to 2021

2019 to 2020

2018 to 2019

You can apply in summer 2021 for courses that start in the academic year 2021 to 2022. Applications are not yet open - this guide will be updated as soon as they are.

Check whether you’re eligible before you apply.

You only need to apply once for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan, even if your course is longer than one year. Student Finance England will write to you in the summer to tell you how much you’ll get in the next academic year.

You’ll not be eligible for an Adult Dependants’ Grant, a Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance from Student Finance England if you’re studying a master’s course.

Apply online

If you’ve taken out a loan with Student Finance England before, use your account to apply.

If you do not already have one, set up an account.

Apply by post

If you cannot apply online, apply by post - the address is on the form.

Read the student finance privacy notice to find out how the information you provide will be used.

Courses that start in the 2020 to 2021 academic year

Courses that started in the 2019 to 2020 academic year

Courses that started before 1 August 2019

Contact Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team if you cannot apply online.

When to apply by

The deadline for applying depends on when you start your course.

If you started on or after 1 August 2017

You need to apply within 9 months of the first day of the last academic year of the course.

The academic year

The academic year is a period of 12 months.

The first day of your academic year depends when your course starts.

Course start date between | First day of academic year

1 August and 31 December | 1 September

1 January and 31 March | 1 January

1 April and 30 June | 1 April

1 July and 31 July | 1 July

Proof of identity

Include valid UK passport details in your application. Use the ‘UK passport details’ form if you need to send the details after your application. Do not send the passport itself.

If you do not have a UK passport (or it has expired), send your original birth or adoption certificate to Student Finance England.

Include your name and address. You should also include your customer reference number if you have one. This is an 11-digit number. You can find it on letters or emails you’ve had from Student Finance England.

If you’re an EU national, send your passport or national identity card.

Supporting information

You should use the evidence return form for extra information to support your application, for example evidence of your residency status.

You may also be asked to complete the UK employment status form.

Change an application

Use your online account to change your personal details, for example bank or contact details. Contact Student Finance England directly if you do not have an account.

Change the amount you’ve asked for

Use the loan request form to change the amount you’ve applied for - you cannot do this online.

If your course starts in the 2020 to 2021 academic year:

If your course started in the 2019 to 2020 academic year:

If your course started before the 2018 to 2019 academic year, contact Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team.

Other changes

Use the change of circumstances form if you need to change any other details, for example your university or course. You cannot do this online.

Taking a break or withdrawing from your course

Tell Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team and your institution straight away if you need to withdraw from your course. It may affect your future payments and eligibility for funding.

Extra help

You may qualify for other funding, for example grants from charities or trusts.

Student Finance England also has more information about other kinds of student finance.

You will not be eligible for an Adult Dependants’ Grant, a Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance from Student Finance England if you’re studying a master’s course.

Disabled students

If you have a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty (for example dyslexia) you can apply for:

Disabled Students’ Allowance

extra help if you’re experiencing financial hardship

You may also qualify for disability related benefits.

Further information

You can learn more about the Postgraduate Master’s Loan on the Student Room website.

Contact Student Finance England if you have further questions.

Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan team

£10,906 if your course started between 1 August 2019 and 31 July 2020

Master's Loan

Overview

A Postgraduate Master’s Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate master’s course.

Funding for postgraduate loans is different if:

you normally live in Scotland

you normally live in Wales

you normally live in Northern Ireland.

Moving somewhere to study does not count as normally living there.

You can also get extra support if you have a disability.

When you can apply

When you repay your loan

You’ll have to start repaying your loan when your income is over a certain amount (the ‘threshold’ amount).

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

What you'll get

You can get up to:

£11,570 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2021

£11,222 if your course started between 1 August 2020 and 31 July 2021

The amount you’ll get is not based on your income or your family’s.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) may take account of the loan when working out any benefits you receive.

The loan is paid directly to you. You can use it for your course fees and living costs.

If your course lasts for more than a year, the loan will be divided equally across each year of your course.

When you’re paid

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

If you change university or college

Your new university or college has to confirm the change with Student Finance England before you receive any more payments.

Eligibility

Whether you qualify depends on:

your course

your age

your nationality or residency status

You will not be able to get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if:

you’re already getting payments from Student Finance England for another course that you’re studying

you already have a master’s degree, or a qualification that’s equivalent or higher

you’re behind in repayments for any previous loans from the Student Loans Company

You’ll still be eligible if you have a PGCE or a postgraduate diploma or certificate.

You will not get extra money if you repeat a year of your course.

Your course

It must:

be a full, standalone master’s course (not a top-up course)

be worth at least 180 credits - check the course provider’s website if you’re not sure

have started on or after 1 August 2016

Your course can be taught or research-based.

It can be:

full-time, lasting 1 or 2 academic years

part-time, lasting 2 to 4 academic years - no more than twice the length of the equivalent full-time course

part-time for up to 3 years, where no equivalent full-time course exists

Examples of postgraduate master’s qualifications include:

MSc (master of science)

MA (master of arts)

MPhil (master of philosophy)

MRes (master of research)

LLM (master of law)

MLitt (master of letters)

MFA (master of fine art)

MEd (master of education)

MBA (master of business administration)

You cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan for a postgraduate certificate or diploma.

Distance learning

England for the whole of your course, if you’re an EU national

the UK for the whole of your course, if you’re not an EU national

This usually does not apply if you’re:

serving in the armed forces

a spouse or civil partner of a serving member of the armed forces

a dependent parent living with a serving member of the armed forces

Integrated courses

You will not be eligible for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if your course is:

integrated with an undergraduate degree - apply for undergraduate funding instead

integrated with a doctoral degree - apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan instead

Intercalated year

This will generally mean you’re not entitled to undergraduate funding anymore because you’ll hold a higher level qualification.

You are still eligible for undergraduate funding if your course leads to a qualification in:

architecture

dentistry

medicine

social work

undergraduate Initial Teacher Training

veterinary science

Master of architecture

You can only apply for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan to support your MArch course if one of the following applies:

you’re taking a part-time course

you’re not eligible for undergraduate funding support

the course does not lead to an accredited qualification as an architect

Healthcare and social work

You cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if you:

are eligible for an NHS bursary

get a Social Work Bursary - unless you only get a Placement Travel Allowance

This also applies for health and social work bursaries in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Your age

You must be under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course.

The academic year is a period of 12 months starting on:

1 September, if your course starts between 1 August and 31 December

1 January, if your course starts between 1 January and 31 March

1 April, if your course starts between 1 April and 30 June

1 July, if your course starts between 1 July and 31 July

Your nationality or residency status

You can apply for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan if all of the following are true:

you normally live in England

You may also be eligible if you’re a UK national (or family member of a UK national) who either:

If you’re an EU national or a family member of an EU national

You may be eligible if you’re an EU national, or a family member of an EU national, and all the following apply:

you have settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

you’ll be studying at a university or college in England

You could also be eligible if you’re:

the child of a Swiss national and you and your parent have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

a resident of Gibraltar who is a UK or EU national, or their family member

Student finance for EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic or Liechtenstein nationals from August 2021

If you have a different residency status

You may also be eligible if your residency status is one of the following:

refugee (including family members)

humanitarian protection (including family members)

a stateless person (including family members)

an unaccompanied child granted ‘Section 67 leave’ under the Dubs Amendment

granted ‘Calais leave’ to remain

you’ve been given settled status but not under the EU Settlement Scheme

you’ve been given indefinite leave to remain because you’ve been the victim of domestic violence

you’ve been granted indefinite leave to remain as a bereaved partner

you’re the family member of a person of Northern Ireland and you have pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

If you’re a non-UK national and have lived in the UK for a certain number of years

You could also be eligible if you’re not a UK national and are either:

under 18 and have lived in the UK for at least 7 years

18 or over and have lived in the UK for at least 20 years (or at least half of your life)

How to apply

You can apply now for courses that start or started in the following academic years:

2020 to 2021

2019 to 2020

2018 to 2019

Check whether you’re eligible before you apply.

Apply online

If you’ve taken out a loan with Student Finance England before, use your account to apply.

If you do not already have one, set up an account.

Apply by post

If you cannot apply online, apply by post - the address is on the form.

Read the student finance privacy notice to find out how the information you provide will be used.

Courses that start in the 2020 to 2021 academic year

Courses that started in the 2019 to 2020 academic year

Courses that started before 1 August 2019

Contact Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team if you cannot apply online.

When to apply by

The deadline for applying depends on when you start your course.

If you started on or after 1 August 2017

You need to apply within 9 months of the first day of the last academic year of the course.

The academic year

The academic year is a period of 12 months.

The first day of your academic year depends when your course starts.

Course start date between | First day of academic year

1 August and 31 December | 1 September

1 January and 31 March | 1 January

1 April and 30 June | 1 April

1 July and 31 July | 1 July

Proof of identity

If you do not have a UK passport (or it has expired), send your original birth or adoption certificate to Student Finance England.

If you’re an EU national, send your passport or national identity card.

Supporting information

You may also be asked to complete the UK employment status form.

Change an application

Change the amount you’ve asked for

Use the loan request form to change the amount you’ve applied for - you cannot do this online.

If your course starts in the 2020 to 2021 academic year:

If your course started in the 2019 to 2020 academic year:

If your course started before the 2018 to 2019 academic year, contact Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team.

Other changes

Taking a break or withdrawing from your course

Extra help

You may qualify for other funding, for example grants from charities or trusts.

Student Finance England also has more information about other kinds of student finance.

Disabled students

Disabled Students’ Allowance

extra help if you’re experiencing financial hardship

You may also qualify for disability related benefits.

Further information

You can learn more about the Postgraduate Master’s Loan on the Student Room website.

Contact Student Finance England if you have further questions.

Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan team


I am currently doing my masters on computer science. I was told that I am eligible to apply for Postgraduate master's Loan. My UK passport expired 3 months ago and I since I have not traveled I am yet to renew it. What are the documents required to prove my identity?

If you do not have a UK passport (or it has expired), send your original birth or adoption certificate to Student Finance England.

Master's Loan

Overview

A Postgraduate Master’s Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate master’s course.

Funding for postgraduate loans is different if:

you normally live in Scotland

you normally live in Wales

you normally live in Northern Ireland.

Moving somewhere to study does not count as normally living there.

You can also get extra support if you have a disability.

When you can apply

You’ll be able to apply for funding for the 2021 to 2022 academic year from summer 2021. Applications are not yet open - this guide will be updated as soon as they are.

When you repay your loan

You’ll have to start repaying your loan when your income is over a certain amount (the ‘threshold’ amount).

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

What you'll get

You can get up to:

£11,570 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2021

£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

The amount you’ll get is not based on your income or your family’s.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) may take account of the loan when working out any benefits you receive.

The loan is paid directly to you. You can use it for your course fees and living costs.

If your course lasts for more than a year, the loan will be divided equally across each year of your course.

When you’re paid

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

The loan will be paid in 3 instalments of 33%, 33% and 34% each year. After your application has been approved, you’ll be sent a letter with your payment dates. You can also check them in your online account.

If you change university or college

Your new university or college has to confirm the change with Student Finance England before you receive any more payments.

Eligibility

Whether you qualify depends on:

your course

your age

your nationality or residency status

You will not be able to get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if:

you’re already getting payments from Student Finance England for another course that you’re studying

you’ve received a loan or grant for a master’s course before - unless you got a Disabled Students’ Allowance or you left your course for a serious personal reason like illness or bereavement

you already have a master’s degree, or a qualification that’s equivalent or higher

you’re behind in repayments for any previous loans from the Student Loans Company

You’ll still be eligible if you have a PGCE or a postgraduate diploma or certificate.

You will not get extra money if you repeat a year of your course.

Your course

It must:

be a full, standalone master’s course (not a top-up course)

be worth at least 180 credits - check the course provider’s website if you’re not sure

have started on or after 1 August 2016

Your course must be provided by an eligible university or college in the UK (including the Open University). Check with the university or college that your course is registered.

Your course can be taught or research-based.

It can be:

full-time, lasting 1 or 2 academic years

part-time, lasting 2 to 4 academic years - no more than twice the length of the equivalent full-time course

part-time for up to 3 years, where no equivalent full-time course exists

Examples of postgraduate master’s qualifications include:

MSc (master of science)

MA (master of arts)

MPhil (master of philosophy)

MRes (master of research)

LLM (master of law)

MLitt (master of letters)

MFA (master of fine art)

MEd (master of education)

MBA (master of business administration)

You cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan for a postgraduate certificate or diploma.

Distance learning

To qualify for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan for distance learning, you’ll need to be living in England on the first day of the first academic year of your course. You’ll also need to live in:

England for the whole of your course, if you’re an EU national

the UK for the whole of your course, if you’re not an EU national

This usually does not apply if you’re:

serving in the armed forces

a spouse or civil partner of a serving member of the armed forces

a dependent parent living with a serving member of the armed forces

Integrated courses

You will not be eligible for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if your course is:

integrated with an undergraduate degree - apply for undergraduate funding instead

integrated with a doctoral degree - apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan instead

Intercalated year

You might be eligible for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if you’re taking a year out of an undergraduate course to study for a master’s.

This will generally mean you’re not entitled to undergraduate funding anymore because you’ll hold a higher level qualification.

You are still eligible for undergraduate funding if your course leads to a qualification in:

architecture

dentistry

medicine

social work

undergraduate Initial Teacher Training

veterinary science

Master of architecture

If you plan to study for a master of architecture (MArch Part 2) qualification full-time, apply for undergraduate funding support. Your course must be accredited by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) to be eligible.

You can only apply for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan to support your MArch course if one of the following applies:

you’re taking a part-time course

you’re not eligible for undergraduate funding support

the course does not lead to an accredited qualification as an architect

Healthcare and social work

You cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if you:

are eligible for an NHS bursary

get a Social Work Bursary - unless you only get a Placement Travel Allowance

This also applies for health and social work bursaries in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

You also cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if you’re starting a postgraduate pre-registration healthcare course on or after 1 August 2018. You may be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan instead.

Your age

You must be under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course.

The academic year is a period of 12 months starting on:

1 September, if your course starts between 1 August and 31 December

1 January, if your course starts between 1 January and 31 March

1 April, if your course starts between 1 April and 30 June

1 July, if your course starts between 1 July and 31 July

Your nationality or residency status

You can apply for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan if all of the following are true:

you’re a UK or Irish national or have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme or indefinite leave to remain so there are no restrictions on how long you can stay

you normally live in England

you’ve been living in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Ireland for 3 continuous years before the first day of your course, apart from temporary absences such as going on holiday

You may also be eligible if you’re a UK national (or family member of a UK national) who either:

returned to the UK on or after 1 January 2018 and by 31 December 2020 after living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

was living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein on 31 December 2020 and has been living in the UK, the EU, Gibraltar, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein for the past 3 years

If you’re an EU national or a family member of an EU national

You may be eligible if you’re an EU national, or a family member of an EU national, and all the following apply:

you have settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

you’ve normally lived in the UK, Gibraltar, EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein for the past 3 years (this is also known as being ‘ordinarily resident’)

you’ll be studying at a university or college in England

You could also be eligible if you’re:

the child of a Swiss national and you and your parent have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

a migrant worker from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein with pre-settled status, or a family member of a migrant worker where both have pre-settled status

a resident of Gibraltar who is a UK or EU national, or their family member

Student finance for EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic or Liechtenstein nationals from August 2021

If you’re starting a course on or after 1 August 2021, you must have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to get student finance.

You need to have started living in the UK before 31 December 2020 to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. If you’re coming to the UK from 1 January 2021, you may need to apply for a visa to study in the UK.

Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme. They can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme if they wish to, for example, to apply on behalf of a child.

If you have a different residency status

You may also be eligible if your residency status is one of the following:

refugee (including family members)

humanitarian protection (including family members)

child of a Turkish worker who has permission to stay in the UK - you and your Turkish worker parent must have been living in the UK by 31 December 2020

a stateless person (including family members)

an unaccompanied child granted ‘Section 67 leave’ under the Dubs Amendment

a child who is under the protection of someone granted ‘Section 67 leave’, who is also allowed to stay in the UK for the same period of time as the person responsible for them (known as ‘leave in line’)

granted ‘Calais leave’ to remain

a child of someone granted ‘Calais leave’ to remain, who is also allowed to stay in the UK for the same period of time as their parent (known as ‘leave in line’)

you’ve been given settled status but not under the EU Settlement Scheme

you’ve been given indefinite leave to remain because you’ve been the victim of domestic violence

you’ve been granted indefinite leave to remain as a bereaved partner

you’re the family member of a person of Northern Ireland and you have pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

If you’re a non-UK national and have lived in the UK for a certain number of years

You could also be eligible if you’re not a UK national and are either:

under 18 and have lived in the UK for at least 7 years

18 or over and have lived in the UK for at least 20 years (or at least half of your life)

You must have been living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 continuous years before the first day of your course.

How to apply

You can apply now for courses that start or started in the following academic years:

2020 to 2021

2019 to 2020

2018 to 2019

You can apply in summer 2021 for courses that start in the academic year 2021 to 2022. Applications are not yet open - this guide will be updated as soon as they are.

Check whether you’re eligible before you apply.

You only need to apply once for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan, even if your course is longer than one year. Student Finance England will write to you in the summer to tell you how much you’ll get in the next academic year.

You’ll not be eligible for an Adult Dependants’ Grant, a Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance from Student Finance England if you’re studying a master’s course.

Apply online

If you’ve taken out a loan with Student Finance England before, use your account to apply.

If you do not already have one, set up an account.

Apply by post

If you cannot apply online, apply by post - the address is on the form.

Read the student finance privacy notice to find out how the information you provide will be used.

Courses that start in the 2020 to 2021 academic year

Courses that started in the 2019 to 2020 academic year

Courses that started before 1 August 2019

Contact Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team if you cannot apply online.

When to apply by

The deadline for applying depends on when you start your course.

If you started on or after 1 August 2017

You need to apply within 9 months of the first day of the last academic year of the course.

The academic year

The academic year is a period of 12 months.

The first day of your academic year depends when your course starts.

Course start date between | First day of academic year

1 August and 31 December | 1 September

1 January and 31 March | 1 January

1 April and 30 June | 1 April

1 July and 31 July | 1 July

Proof of identity

Include valid UK passport details in your application. Use the ‘UK passport details’ form if you need to send the details after your application. Do not send the passport itself.

Include your name and address. You should also include your customer reference number if you have one. This is an 11-digit number. You can find it on letters or emails you’ve had from Student Finance England.

If you’re an EU national, send your passport or national identity card.

Supporting information

You should use the evidence return form for extra information to support your application, for example evidence of your residency status.

You may also be asked to complete the UK employment status form.

Change an application

Use your online account to change your personal details, for example bank or contact details. Contact Student Finance England directly if you do not have an account.

Change the amount you’ve asked for

Use the loan request form to change the amount you’ve applied for - you cannot do this online.

If your course starts in the 2020 to 2021 academic year:

If your course started in the 2019 to 2020 academic year:

If your course started before the 2018 to 2019 academic year, contact Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team.

Other changes

Use the change of circumstances form if you need to change any other details, for example your university or course. You cannot do this online.

Taking a break or withdrawing from your course

Tell Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team and your institution straight away if you need to withdraw from your course. It may affect your future payments and eligibility for funding.

Extra help

You may qualify for other funding, for example grants from charities or trusts.

Student Finance England also has more information about other kinds of student finance.

You will not be eligible for an Adult Dependants’ Grant, a Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance from Student Finance England if you’re studying a master’s course.

Disabled students

If you have a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty (for example dyslexia) you can apply for:

Disabled Students’ Allowance

extra help if you’re experiencing financial hardship

You may also qualify for disability related benefits.

Further information

You can learn more about the Postgraduate Master’s Loan on the Student Room website.

Contact Student Finance England if you have further questions.

Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan team


I am looking at doing master's course in the UK. It is an Msc course that is eligible for a postgraduate loan. I do not know how much the loan is. How much funding is available for a postgraduate student who's course starts in October of 2021?

You can get up to:

Master's Loan

Overview

A Postgraduate Master’s Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate master’s course.

Funding for postgraduate loans is different if:

you normally live in Scotland

you normally live in Wales

you normally live in Northern Ireland.

Moving somewhere to study does not count as normally living there.

You can also get extra support if you have a disability.

When you can apply

You’ll be able to apply for funding for the 2021 to 2022 academic year from summer 2021. Applications are not yet open - this guide will be updated as soon as they are.

When you repay your loan

You’ll have to start repaying your loan when your income is over a certain amount (the ‘threshold’ amount).

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

What you'll get

You can get up to:

£11,570 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2021

£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

The amount you’ll get is not based on your income or your family’s.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) may take account of the loan when working out any benefits you receive.

The loan is paid directly to you. You can use it for your course fees and living costs.

If your course lasts for more than a year, the loan will be divided equally across each year of your course.

When you’re paid

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

The loan will be paid in 3 instalments of 33%, 33% and 34% each year. After your application has been approved, you’ll be sent a letter with your payment dates. You can also check them in your online account.

If you change university or college

Your new university or college has to confirm the change with Student Finance England before you receive any more payments.

Eligibility

Whether you qualify depends on:

your course

your age

your nationality or residency status

You will not be able to get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if:

you’re already getting payments from Student Finance England for another course that you’re studying

you’ve received a loan or grant for a master’s course before - unless you got a Disabled Students’ Allowance or you left your course for a serious personal reason like illness or bereavement

you already have a master’s degree, or a qualification that’s equivalent or higher

you’re behind in repayments for any previous loans from the Student Loans Company

You’ll still be eligible if you have a PGCE or a postgraduate diploma or certificate.

You will not get extra money if you repeat a year of your course.

Your course

It must:

be a full, standalone master’s course (not a top-up course)

be worth at least 180 credits - check the course provider’s website if you’re not sure

have started on or after 1 August 2016

Your course must be provided by an eligible university or college in the UK (including the Open University). Check with the university or college that your course is registered.

Your course can be taught or research-based.

It can be:

full-time, lasting 1 or 2 academic years

part-time, lasting 2 to 4 academic years - no more than twice the length of the equivalent full-time course

part-time for up to 3 years, where no equivalent full-time course exists

Examples of postgraduate master’s qualifications include:

MSc (master of science)

MA (master of arts)

MPhil (master of philosophy)

MRes (master of research)

LLM (master of law)

MLitt (master of letters)

MFA (master of fine art)

MEd (master of education)

MBA (master of business administration)

You cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan for a postgraduate certificate or diploma.

Distance learning

To qualify for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan for distance learning, you’ll need to be living in England on the first day of the first academic year of your course. You’ll also need to live in:

England for the whole of your course, if you’re an EU national

the UK for the whole of your course, if you’re not an EU national

This usually does not apply if you’re:

serving in the armed forces

a spouse or civil partner of a serving member of the armed forces

a dependent parent living with a serving member of the armed forces

Integrated courses

You will not be eligible for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if your course is:

integrated with an undergraduate degree - apply for undergraduate funding instead

integrated with a doctoral degree - apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan instead

Intercalated year

You might be eligible for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if you’re taking a year out of an undergraduate course to study for a master’s.

This will generally mean you’re not entitled to undergraduate funding anymore because you’ll hold a higher level qualification.

You are still eligible for undergraduate funding if your course leads to a qualification in:

architecture

dentistry

medicine

social work

undergraduate Initial Teacher Training

veterinary science

Master of architecture

If you plan to study for a master of architecture (MArch Part 2) qualification full-time, apply for undergraduate funding support. Your course must be accredited by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) to be eligible.

You can only apply for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan to support your MArch course if one of the following applies:

you’re taking a part-time course

you’re not eligible for undergraduate funding support

the course does not lead to an accredited qualification as an architect

Healthcare and social work

You cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if you:

are eligible for an NHS bursary

get a Social Work Bursary - unless you only get a Placement Travel Allowance

This also applies for health and social work bursaries in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

You also cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if you’re starting a postgraduate pre-registration healthcare course on or after 1 August 2018. You may be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan instead.

Your age

You must be under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course.

The academic year is a period of 12 months starting on:

1 September, if your course starts between 1 August and 31 December

1 January, if your course starts between 1 January and 31 March

1 April, if your course starts between 1 April and 30 June

1 July, if your course starts between 1 July and 31 July

Your nationality or residency status

You can apply for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan if all of the following are true:

you’re a UK or Irish national or have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme or indefinite leave to remain so there are no restrictions on how long you can stay

you normally live in England

you’ve been living in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Ireland for 3 continuous years before the first day of your course, apart from temporary absences such as going on holiday

You may also be eligible if you’re a UK national (or family member of a UK national) who either:

returned to the UK on or after 1 January 2018 and by 31 December 2020 after living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

was living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein on 31 December 2020 and has been living in the UK, the EU, Gibraltar, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein for the past 3 years

If you’re an EU national or a family member of an EU national

You may be eligible if you’re an EU national, or a family member of an EU national, and all the following apply:

you have settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

you’ve normally lived in the UK, Gibraltar, EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein for the past 3 years (this is also known as being ‘ordinarily resident’)

you’ll be studying at a university or college in England

You could also be eligible if you’re:

the child of a Swiss national and you and your parent have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

a migrant worker from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein with pre-settled status, or a family member of a migrant worker where both have pre-settled status

a resident of Gibraltar who is a UK or EU national, or their family member

Student finance for EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic or Liechtenstein nationals from August 2021

If you’re starting a course on or after 1 August 2021, you must have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to get student finance.

You need to have started living in the UK before 31 December 2020 to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. If you’re coming to the UK from 1 January 2021, you may need to apply for a visa to study in the UK.

Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme. They can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme if they wish to, for example, to apply on behalf of a child.

If you have a different residency status

You may also be eligible if your residency status is one of the following:

refugee (including family members)

humanitarian protection (including family members)

child of a Turkish worker who has permission to stay in the UK - you and your Turkish worker parent must have been living in the UK by 31 December 2020

a stateless person (including family members)

an unaccompanied child granted ‘Section 67 leave’ under the Dubs Amendment

a child who is under the protection of someone granted ‘Section 67 leave’, who is also allowed to stay in the UK for the same period of time as the person responsible for them (known as ‘leave in line’)

granted ‘Calais leave’ to remain

a child of someone granted ‘Calais leave’ to remain, who is also allowed to stay in the UK for the same period of time as their parent (known as ‘leave in line’)

you’ve been given settled status but not under the EU Settlement Scheme

you’ve been given indefinite leave to remain because you’ve been the victim of domestic violence

you’ve been granted indefinite leave to remain as a bereaved partner

you’re the family member of a person of Northern Ireland and you have pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

If you’re a non-UK national and have lived in the UK for a certain number of years

You could also be eligible if you’re not a UK national and are either:

under 18 and have lived in the UK for at least 7 years

18 or over and have lived in the UK for at least 20 years (or at least half of your life)

You must have been living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 continuous years before the first day of your course.

How to apply

You can apply now for courses that start or started in the following academic years:

2020 to 2021

2019 to 2020

2018 to 2019

You can apply in summer 2021 for courses that start in the academic year 2021 to 2022. Applications are not yet open - this guide will be updated as soon as they are.

Check whether you’re eligible before you apply.

You only need to apply once for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan, even if your course is longer than one year. Student Finance England will write to you in the summer to tell you how much you’ll get in the next academic year.

You’ll not be eligible for an Adult Dependants’ Grant, a Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance from Student Finance England if you’re studying a master’s course.

Apply online

If you’ve taken out a loan with Student Finance England before, use your account to apply.

If you do not already have one, set up an account.

Apply by post

If you cannot apply online, apply by post - the address is on the form.

Read the student finance privacy notice to find out how the information you provide will be used.

Courses that start in the 2020 to 2021 academic year

Courses that started in the 2019 to 2020 academic year

Courses that started before 1 August 2019

Contact Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team if you cannot apply online.

When to apply by

The deadline for applying depends on when you start your course.

If you started on or after 1 August 2017

You need to apply within 9 months of the first day of the last academic year of the course.

The academic year

The academic year is a period of 12 months.

The first day of your academic year depends when your course starts.

Course start date between | First day of academic year

1 August and 31 December | 1 September

1 January and 31 March | 1 January

1 April and 30 June | 1 April

1 July and 31 July | 1 July

Proof of identity

Include valid UK passport details in your application. Use the ‘UK passport details’ form if you need to send the details after your application. Do not send the passport itself.

If you do not have a UK passport (or it has expired), send your original birth or adoption certificate to Student Finance England.

Include your name and address. You should also include your customer reference number if you have one. This is an 11-digit number. You can find it on letters or emails you’ve had from Student Finance England.

If you’re an EU national, send your passport or national identity card.

Supporting information

You should use the evidence return form for extra information to support your application, for example evidence of your residency status.

You may also be asked to complete the UK employment status form.

Change an application

Use your online account to change your personal details, for example bank or contact details. Contact Student Finance England directly if you do not have an account.

Change the amount you’ve asked for

Use the loan request form to change the amount you’ve applied for - you cannot do this online.

If your course starts in the 2020 to 2021 academic year:

If your course started in the 2019 to 2020 academic year:

If your course started before the 2018 to 2019 academic year, contact Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team.

Other changes

Use the change of circumstances form if you need to change any other details, for example your university or course. You cannot do this online.

Taking a break or withdrawing from your course

Tell Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team and your institution straight away if you need to withdraw from your course. It may affect your future payments and eligibility for funding.

Extra help

You may qualify for other funding, for example grants from charities or trusts.

Student Finance England also has more information about other kinds of student finance.

You will not be eligible for an Adult Dependants’ Grant, a Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance from Student Finance England if you’re studying a master’s course.

Disabled students

If you have a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty (for example dyslexia) you can apply for:

Disabled Students’ Allowance

extra help if you’re experiencing financial hardship

You may also qualify for disability related benefits.

Further information

You can learn more about the Postgraduate Master’s Loan on the Student Room website.

Contact Student Finance England if you have further questions.

Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan team

£11,570 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2021

Master's Loan

Overview

A Postgraduate Master’s Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate master’s course.

Funding for postgraduate loans is different if:

you normally live in Scotland

you normally live in Wales

you normally live in Northern Ireland.

Moving somewhere to study does not count as normally living there.

You can also get extra support if you have a disability.

When you can apply

When you repay your loan

You’ll have to start repaying your loan when your income is over a certain amount (the ‘threshold’ amount).

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

What you'll get

You can get up to:

£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

The amount you’ll get is not based on your income or your family’s.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) may take account of the loan when working out any benefits you receive.

The loan is paid directly to you. You can use it for your course fees and living costs.

If your course lasts for more than a year, the loan will be divided equally across each year of your course.

When you’re paid

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

If you change university or college

Your new university or college has to confirm the change with Student Finance England before you receive any more payments.

Eligibility

Whether you qualify depends on:

your course

your age

your nationality or residency status

You will not be able to get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if:

you’re already getting payments from Student Finance England for another course that you’re studying

you already have a master’s degree, or a qualification that’s equivalent or higher

you’re behind in repayments for any previous loans from the Student Loans Company

You’ll still be eligible if you have a PGCE or a postgraduate diploma or certificate.

You will not get extra money if you repeat a year of your course.

Your course

It must:

be a full, standalone master’s course (not a top-up course)

be worth at least 180 credits - check the course provider’s website if you’re not sure

have started on or after 1 August 2016

Your course can be taught or research-based.

It can be:

full-time, lasting 1 or 2 academic years

part-time, lasting 2 to 4 academic years - no more than twice the length of the equivalent full-time course

part-time for up to 3 years, where no equivalent full-time course exists

Examples of postgraduate master’s qualifications include:

MSc (master of science)

MA (master of arts)

MPhil (master of philosophy)

MRes (master of research)

LLM (master of law)

MLitt (master of letters)

MFA (master of fine art)

MEd (master of education)

MBA (master of business administration)

You cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan for a postgraduate certificate or diploma.

Distance learning

England for the whole of your course, if you’re an EU national

the UK for the whole of your course, if you’re not an EU national

This usually does not apply if you’re:

serving in the armed forces

a spouse or civil partner of a serving member of the armed forces

a dependent parent living with a serving member of the armed forces

Integrated courses

You will not be eligible for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if your course is:

integrated with an undergraduate degree - apply for undergraduate funding instead

integrated with a doctoral degree - apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan instead

Intercalated year

This will generally mean you’re not entitled to undergraduate funding anymore because you’ll hold a higher level qualification.

You are still eligible for undergraduate funding if your course leads to a qualification in:

architecture

dentistry

medicine

social work

undergraduate Initial Teacher Training

veterinary science

Master of architecture

You can only apply for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan to support your MArch course if one of the following applies:

you’re taking a part-time course

you’re not eligible for undergraduate funding support

the course does not lead to an accredited qualification as an architect

Healthcare and social work

You cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if you:

are eligible for an NHS bursary

get a Social Work Bursary - unless you only get a Placement Travel Allowance

This also applies for health and social work bursaries in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Your age

You must be under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course.

The academic year is a period of 12 months starting on:

1 September, if your course starts between 1 August and 31 December

1 January, if your course starts between 1 January and 31 March

1 April, if your course starts between 1 April and 30 June

1 July, if your course starts between 1 July and 31 July

Your nationality or residency status

You can apply for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan if all of the following are true:

you normally live in England

You may also be eligible if you’re a UK national (or family member of a UK national) who either:

If you’re an EU national or a family member of an EU national

You may be eligible if you’re an EU national, or a family member of an EU national, and all the following apply:

you have settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

you’ll be studying at a university or college in England

You could also be eligible if you’re:

the child of a Swiss national and you and your parent have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

a resident of Gibraltar who is a UK or EU national, or their family member

Student finance for EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic or Liechtenstein nationals from August 2021

If you have a different residency status

You may also be eligible if your residency status is one of the following:

refugee (including family members)

humanitarian protection (including family members)

a stateless person (including family members)

an unaccompanied child granted ‘Section 67 leave’ under the Dubs Amendment

granted ‘Calais leave’ to remain

you’ve been given settled status but not under the EU Settlement Scheme

you’ve been given indefinite leave to remain because you’ve been the victim of domestic violence

you’ve been granted indefinite leave to remain as a bereaved partner

you’re the family member of a person of Northern Ireland and you have pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

If you’re a non-UK national and have lived in the UK for a certain number of years

You could also be eligible if you’re not a UK national and are either:

under 18 and have lived in the UK for at least 7 years

18 or over and have lived in the UK for at least 20 years (or at least half of your life)

How to apply

You can apply now for courses that start or started in the following academic years:

2020 to 2021

2019 to 2020

2018 to 2019

Check whether you’re eligible before you apply.

Apply online

If you’ve taken out a loan with Student Finance England before, use your account to apply.

If you do not already have one, set up an account.

Apply by post

If you cannot apply online, apply by post - the address is on the form.

Read the student finance privacy notice to find out how the information you provide will be used.

Courses that start in the 2020 to 2021 academic year

Courses that started in the 2019 to 2020 academic year

Courses that started before 1 August 2019

Contact Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team if you cannot apply online.

When to apply by

The deadline for applying depends on when you start your course.

If you started on or after 1 August 2017

You need to apply within 9 months of the first day of the last academic year of the course.

The academic year

The academic year is a period of 12 months.

The first day of your academic year depends when your course starts.

Course start date between | First day of academic year

1 August and 31 December | 1 September

1 January and 31 March | 1 January

1 April and 30 June | 1 April

1 July and 31 July | 1 July

Proof of identity

If you do not have a UK passport (or it has expired), send your original birth or adoption certificate to Student Finance England.

If you’re an EU national, send your passport or national identity card.

Supporting information

You may also be asked to complete the UK employment status form.

Change an application

Change the amount you’ve asked for

Use the loan request form to change the amount you’ve applied for - you cannot do this online.

If your course starts in the 2020 to 2021 academic year:

If your course started in the 2019 to 2020 academic year:

If your course started before the 2018 to 2019 academic year, contact Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team.

Other changes

Taking a break or withdrawing from your course

Extra help

You may qualify for other funding, for example grants from charities or trusts.

Student Finance England also has more information about other kinds of student finance.

Disabled students

Disabled Students’ Allowance

extra help if you’re experiencing financial hardship

You may also qualify for disability related benefits.

Further information

You can learn more about the Postgraduate Master’s Loan on the Student Room website.

Contact Student Finance England if you have further questions.

Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan team


I started a limited company and employed 5 employees. I registered for the PAYE scheme. We were very busy and I was not able to find time to pay HMRC in the past 5 months. Will our account be closed ?

HMRC will close your PAYE scheme if you’re a new employer and you do not send a report to or pay HMRC in 120 days.

Running payroll

Overview

As an employer operating PAYE as part of your payroll, you need to complete certain tasks during each tax month. Tax months run from the 6th of one month to the 5th of the next.

You must tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you’ve not paid any employees in a tax month.

On or before your employees’ payday

Every time you pay your employees, use your payroll software to:

Record their pay - include their salary or wages and any other pay.

Calculate deductions from their pay, like tax and National Insurance.

Calculate the employer’s National Insurance contribution that you’ll need to pay on their earnings above £184 a week.

Produce payslips for each employee (you can use different software if yours does not have this feature).

Report their pay and deductions to HMRC in a Full Payment Submission (FPS).

If you pay an employee less than £120 a week, you usually only need to record and report their pay (unless they have another job or receive a pension).

In the next tax month (starting on the 6th)

You can view what you owe from your FPS online from the 12th.

Claim any reduction on what you’ll owe HMRC (for example statutory pay) by sending an Employer Payment Summary (EPS) by the 19th.

View the balance of what you owe in your HMRC online account, within 2 days (or by the 14th if you sent the EPS before the 11th).

Pay HMRC by the 22nd (or the 19th if paying by post) - you may have to pay a penalty if you do not.

If you usually pay less than £1,500 per month, you may be able to pay quarterly instead of monthly. Contact the payment helpline to find out.

Late reporting

HMRC will send you a late filing notice if you’ve paid any employees and do not send an FPS or send one late. They can also charge you a penalty, unless you have a valid reason for reporting late.

Late, missing or incorrect payroll reports can also affect your employees’ income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit.

HMRC will close your PAYE scheme if you’re a new employer and you do not send a report to or pay HMRC in 120 days.

Employees' pay

Record your employees’ salary or wages in your payroll software. Include everyone you pay, even if they get less than £120 a week.

Recording other types of pay

Statutory pay

You may have to pay your employee:

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)

statutory pay for parents (maternity, paternity, adoption, bereavement or shared parental pay)

You must record these in your software - they’re taxed like normal pay.

You can reclaim statutory pay for parents.

Expenses and benefits

Expenses or benefits like uniforms or company cars are reported separately at the end of the tax year. Check the rules to find out what counts as expenses and benefits, and what you should record in your software as normal pay.

Tips and other pay

Treat tips to your staff as normal pay if they’re paid into your till - this includes tips added to your customers’ card or cheque payments. The rules are different if tips are given straight to your employees by customers or paid into a tronc.

Other payments you may give your employee that you should record as normal pay include:

bonuses

commission

holiday pay (unless you pay it in advance or use a holiday pay scheme)

payments for time your employee has spent travelling

passenger payments, except the first 5 pence per mile

medical suspension payments, given to an employee you’ve suspended for health reasons

maternity suspension payments, given to an employee you’ve suspended for her, or her baby’s, health

guarantee payments, paid to an employee for a day they do not work (and not paid holiday)

office holders’ payments (honoraria), given to employees for providing a service, for example being your company’s sports-club secretary

payments that can be converted into cash, for example cheques, Savings Certificates or Premium Bonds

inducement payments (‘golden hello’ payments)

cash prizes for competitions you run

The rules are different for non-cash payments like shares or commodities, cash-in-hand or guarantee payments and employee incentive awards.

Deductions

Your payroll software will calculate how much tax and National Insurance to deduct from your employees’ pay. These deductions are worked out using each employee’s tax code and National Insurance category letter.

You may also need to deduct student loan repayments, pension contributions, Payroll Giving donations and child maintenance payments.

Student and Postgraduate loan repayments

Use your payroll software to record if your employee needs to make student loan repayments - both in your software and on payslips.

You’ll need to calculate and deduct how much they need to repay based on which plan they’re on. They repay:

9% of their income above £19,895 a year for Plan 1

9% of their income above £27,295 a year for Plan 2

9% of their income above £25,000 a year for Plan 4

6% of their income above £21,000 a year for Postgraduate loans

Pensions

Make pension deductions after you take off National Insurance. You normally make pension deductions before you take off tax - check with your workplace pension provider.

You’ll also need to pay any employer contributions into your employee’s pension.

A new law means all employers will have to provide and pay into a workplace pension scheme for their employees - this is called ‘automatic enrolment’.

Payroll Giving

Your employees can donate to charity directly from their pay before tax is deducted using Payroll Giving.

Register with a Payroll Giving agency to set up a scheme. They’ll let you know how to make deductions.

As well as the usual payroll records, you must also keep the agency contract, employee authorisation forms and details of payments to the agency.

Child maintenance

You may need to deduct child maintenance directly from a paying parent’s earnings or pension.

Payslips

You must give your employees and ‘workers’ a payslip on or before their payday.

What to include

Payslips must show:

pay before any deductions (‘gross’ wages)

deductions like tax and National Insurance

pay after deductions (‘net’ wages)

the number of hours worked, if the pay varies depending on time worked

Payslips can also include information like your employee’s National Insurance number and tax code, their rate of pay, and the total amount of pay and deductions so far in the tax year.

Producing payslips

You may be able to produce payslips using your payroll software, if it has this feature. You can use different software if it does not.

You can either print payslips to give to your employees, or you can send them electronically.

Employees have certain rights relating to payslips and what they must include.

Reporting to HMRC: FPS

Use your payroll software to send a Full Payment Submission (FPS) to tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) about payments to your employees and what deductions you’ve made.

Include everyone you pay, even if they get less than £120 a week.

When to send your FPS

Send the FPS on or before your employees’ payday, even if you pay HMRC quarterly instead of monthly.

You must enter the usual date that you pay your employees, even if you pay them earlier or later. For example, if you pay your employees early because your usual payday falls on a Bank Holiday, you should still enter your regular payday.

Early reporting

You can send an FPS before your regular payday, for example if your payroll staff are going on holiday.

Do not report too early - you’ll need to send a corrected FPS to update HMRC if information changes, for example an employee leaves or changes tax code.

You cannot send reports for the new tax year before March.

Late reporting

There are some exceptions when you can send a late FPS.

Completing and sending an FPS

You’ll need to enter your PAYE reference and Accounts Office reference in your software. HMRC will have sent this to you after you registered as an employer.

To complete and send the FPS, follow your payroll software’s instructions.

HMRC has guidance on what to put in each field on an FPS, including:

employer information

employee information - only include employees you’ve paid

pay and deductions

National Insurance information

You can split your FPS into batches if it’s easier for you, for example one for employees and one for directors.

There are special rules for calculating deductions if your employee has more than one job with you.

After you’ve sent your FPS

In the next tax month (which starts on the 6th), you can:

view your FPS and how much tax and National Insurance you owe in your HMRC online account from the 12th

claim any reduction on what you’ll owe HMRC (for example statutory pay) by sending an Employer Payment Summary (EPS) by the 19th

pay HMRC the balance by the 22nd (or the 19th if paying by post)

If you need to make an extra payment to your employee, send an extra FPS before your next regular report (if your software has this feature).

If you made a mistake in your FPS

You should correct any errors in your FPS as soon as you find them.

Reporting extra information

You need to report more information on an FPS if:

it includes a new employee

an employee leaves

you start paying someone a workplace pension

it’s the last report of tax year

You may also need to report extra information about certain employee changes, for example they take a leave of absence or become a director.

There are special rules if you’re only reporting National Insurance, for example you’re an overseas employer that does not need to pay UK tax.

Reporting to HMRC: EPS

Use your payroll software to send an Employer Payment Summary (EPS) as well as a Full Payment Submission (FPS) if you:

reclaim statutory maternity, paternity, adoption, parental bereavement or shared parental payments - even if you got an advance payment from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to cover them

claim the Employment Allowance - do this once each tax year

can reclaim Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) deductions as a limited company

claim National Insurance contributions holiday for previous tax years

pay the Apprenticeship Levy if you, or employers you’re connected to, have an annual pay bill of more than £3 million

Send an EPS instead of an FPS if you’ve not paid any employees in a tax month.

EPS deadlines

Send an EPS by the 19th of the following tax month for HMRC to apply any reduction (for example statutory pay) on what you’ll owe from your FPS.

The tax month starts on the 6th.

Sending an EPS

To complete and send the EPS, follow your payroll software’s instructions. HMRC has guidance on what to put in each field on an an EPS.

Use HMRC’s Basic PAYE Tools if your software cannot send EPS reports.

After you’ve sent your EPS

Once you’ve sent your EPS, you can:

view what you’ve claimed and the balance of what you owe on your HMRC online account within 2 days (or by the 14th if you sent the EPS before the 11th)

pay HMRC by the 22nd (or the 19th if paying by post).

If you made a mistake in your EPS

You should correct any errors in your EPS as soon as you find them.

If you do not pay any employees in a tax month

Do not send an FPS. Send an EPS by the 19th after the tax month you did not pay any employees. The tax month starts on the 6th.

HMRC has guidance on what to put in your EPS if you’ve not paid anyone.

If you do not send an EPS, HMRC may:

send you a notice through PAYE Online

estimate how much you should pay

give you a penalty

If you do not pay anyone for a longer period

You can tell HMRC up to a year in advance that you’ll not pay any employees. To do this, enter dates in the ‘Period of inactivity’ fields in your EPS.

Paying HMRC

Every month you have to pay HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC):

the tax and National Insurance (and any other deductions) you owe as reported on your Full Payment Submission (FPS) in the previous tax month

minus the reductions on any Employer Payment Summary (EPS) you sent before the 19th in the current tax month

Pay what you owe by the 22nd of the month (or the 19th if paying by post) - you may have to pay a penalty if you do not.

Viewing what you owe

View your HMRC online account to see the reports you’ve sent and to find out what you owe.

There are things you can check if your PAYE bill is not what you expected.

How to pay

You can pay your PAYE bill in a number of different ways.

Interest and penalties

HMRC will usually tell you if they think you’ve paid late - either in a letter or a notice through PAYE Online. You’ll be charged interest daily at the standard rate.

You may be charged a penalty if you do not pay on time or in full.

Sending an FPS after payday

If you send a late Full Payment Submission (FPS) without a valid reason, you may get:

an online penalty warning message for the first late FPS you send each month

a penalty for reporting late

When you can send a late FPS report

In certain situations you can send a Full Payment Submission (FPS) after you pay your employee.

Situation | When to report

Your employee does not give you a P45 and is either paid less than £120 a week or has worked with you for less than a week | Within 7 days of paying your employee

Your employees’ payday is on a non-banking day, for example weekend or bank holiday | On the next banking day - but enter the regular payment date in the ‘payment date’ field and select ‘Late reporting reason’ code G

You make an ad hoc payment outside of your regular payroll, for example you’re told after you’ve sent your FPS about a new starter or a missed overtime payment. (Payments made regularly outside your normal payroll run are not ad hoc) | In your next regular FPS or an additional FPS

You pay your employee an expense or benefit where you must pay National Insurance, but not Income Tax, through payroll. This depends on the benefit. | Within 14 days of the end of the tax month

You cannot calculate or report your employee’s pay in advance because it’s based on their work on the day, for example harvest workers paid based on how much they pick | Within 7 days of paying your employee

You make certain non-cash payments to your employee | As soon as possible within 14 days of the end of the tax month, or when you deduct tax and National Insurance (if earlier). For complex situations (for example when exercising share options) contact HMRC

You’ve not received your employer PAYE reference yet | As soon as possible after you receive your employer PAYE reference - select ‘Late reporting reason’ code G

Put the reason for reporting after payday on your FPS for each late submission. If you do not, or if HMRC disagrees with the reason or you do not send an FPS, they may send you an online penalty warning message and a penalty.

Viewing late FPS reports in your HMRC online account

If you send an FPS in the same tax month as you paid your employees, you can view the report in your HMRC online account from the 12th of the next tax month.

This is different if you send an FPS in the tax month after payday.

Late FPS sent (in tax month after payday) | HMRC online account updated

Between 6th and 11th | By the 14th

Between 12th and 19th | Within 2 days

On or after the 20th - and you did not send a FPS the previous tax month | Within 2 days

On or after the 20th - and you sent a FPS the previous tax month | By the 12th of the next tax month

Reporting employee changes

You need to report more information on a Full Payment Submission (FPS) if:

it includes a new employee

an employee leaves

you start paying someone a workplace pension

it’s the last report of the tax year

an employee changes their address

You may also need to tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if an employee:

becomes a director

reaches State Pension age

goes to work abroad

goes on jury service

dies

joins or leaves a contracted-out company pension

turns 16

is called up as a reservist

changes gender

Employee takes a leave of absence

Once your employee has started their leave of absence, put ‘Yes’ in the ‘Irregular payment pattern indicator’ in all FPS reports you send to HMRC until the employee returns.

Changing paydays

You can move your payday to a different day or change how often you pay your employees.

Moving your payday

If the new payday is in the same tax month or week, treat the first new payment as an extra payment for that period.

You do not need to do anything special when recording pay if the new payday is in a different tax month or week.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has guidance on how to calculate National Insurance for your employees after changing paydays.

Changing how often you pay your employees

You must contact the employer helpline if you pay employees less often so HMRC do not send you a non-filing notice through PAYE Online.

Most payroll software can automatically manage any changes to how often you pay your employees (for example from monthly to weekly) and work out deductions correctly.

Using Basic PAYE Tools

There are some limitations on when you can make these changes if you use HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Basic PAYE Tools.

Paying your employees more often

If you’ve not already paid your employees, use the new earnings period (in the ‘Pay frequency’ field) in your Full Payment Submission (FPS) when you next pay them.

If you’ve paid your employees, you can use the new earnings period from the next tax month.

Paying your employees less often

If a payment from your old pay period also takes place in your new pay period, calculate and deduct National Insurance on both. Do not deduct more National Insurance than would’ve been due on the combined total of both payments.

If an employee also joins your contracted-out pension scheme during this period, deduct National Insurance at the contracted-out rate on the total of both payments.

Deduct tax based on the new earnings period the next time you pay your employees.

Annual payroll scheme for PAYE

If you pay your employees only once a year, and all in the same tax month, you can register with HMRC as an ‘annual scheme’.

This means you send reports and make payments to HMRC annually. If you pay your employees on different days in the same tax month, you need to send an FPS on or before each payday. You do not need to send an Employer Payment Summary (EPS) for the months when you do not pay your employees.

To register, contact the employer helpline and tell them which month you pay your employees. You’ll need your 13-character Accounts Office reference number - this is on the letter HMRC sent you when you registered as an employer.

Changing when you pay your employees

If you change the month you pay your employees, send an FPS in the month that you want the new annual payment month to move to. If it’s later than the month you usually pay your employees, you’ll need to send an EPS for that month to tell HMRC you’re not paying anyone.

If you send more than one FPS in a year, HMRC will assume you no longer wish to operate as an annual scheme and send you a letter to confirm.