Apply for a postgraduate loan
Postgraduate loans help cover study-related costs for Masters and Doctoral degrees.
Unlike undergraduate loans, postgraduate loans are non-means tested. A standard amount is awarded based on the year your studies start.
Read the eligibility criteria for postgraduate loans.
How to select the correct course during application
- Postgraduate Masters loan courses are listed by University course title. For example, Consumer Analytics and Marketing Strategy.
- Postgraduate doctoral loan courses are listed by school/department, for example if your course is full-time in the School of English, select ‘Doctoral Course in English FT’.
If the course you wish to study is not available to choose from the drop-down list when you apply for funding from the Student Loans Company, please email the Student Funding team at funding@leeds.ac.uk.
Courses with the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) designation are only added upon request. If you are funded by SAAS you will likely need to contact the Student Funding team to request your course be added to the Student Loans Company system. Please do check the courses available in the drop-down list when applying for funding first before contacting the Student Funding Team.
Part-time Doctoral loans from September 2026
If you are planning on studying on a part-time basis from September 2026 then you will need to request your course be added to the Student Loans Company system.
Please email the Student Funding Team via funding@leeds.ac.uk and include your subject area, the duration of your course, and your Student ID number (if you have been issued with one).
Receiving your loan
Masters loans
To receive your loan, you need to have completed online registration at the University and completed your identity check.
The University will only confirm your registration once both steps have been completed.
The Student Loans Company will then release your first loan payment.
The loan will be paid directly to you, and can be used as a contribution towards your tuition fee or living costs.
Doctoral loans
To receive your loan you need to have completed online registration, completed your identity check, and confirmed you meet all eligibility criteria via an online declaration form.
The link to the online declaration form will be emailed to you once we receive notification from the Student Loans Company that your loan has been approved.
The University will only confirm your registration once all these steps have been completed. The Student Loans Company will then release your first loan payment directly to you, and can be used as a contribution towards your course fees or living costs.
Distance learning students will be required to follow the same online procedures.
Suspending your studies
If you need to suspend your studies, there is no requirement to repay any postgraduate loan paid to you before the approved suspension date. Your remaining loan will be paid to you when you resume your studies.