Doctoral Loan - University of Staffordshire

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Starting a PhD? A UK government Doctoral Loan can help cover tuition fees and living costs, whether you study full-time or part-time.

You can access up to £30,301 and won’t need to start repaying the loan until after you graduate and your annual income exceeds £21,000 (the current threshold).

Eligibility

To qualify for a doctoral loan, you and your course will need to meet certain requirements, but don’t worry your income, savings, or other student loans won’t affect your eligibility.

Personal eligibility

You can apply if you:

Are studying a full-time or part-time doctoral program (e.g., PhD, DPhil).
Are under 60 years old at the start of your course.
Are a UK resident living in England.
Don’t already hold a doctoral degree or higher qualification.

Course eligibility

Your course must be:

A doctoral program (full-time or part-time*, up to 8 years).
Offered by an eligible UK university

Unsure about your course? Visit GOV.UK for full eligibility criteria and terms and conditions.

*If you are studying part time, you’ll need to provide your expected course duration when applying, which can’t exceed eight years.

Course criteria and exclusions

Applying for a doctoral loan? Your course must meet specific eligibility criteria to qualify for funding. Here's what you need to know:

Eligible courses

Professional doctorates, such as the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), Doctor of Education (EdD), or similar programs, qualify for a Doctoral Loan.
If you’re initially registered for a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) but plan to upgrade to a PhD, you’re eligible for a Doctoral Loan (this is a common pathway).
Your course must lead to a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree.

Ineligible courses

Standalone Master of Philosophy (MPhil) or Master of Research (MRes) programs are not eligible for a Doctoral Loan; apply for a [Master’s Loan](insert link) instead.
Courses leading to a Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) or Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) do not qualify.

Prior qualifications

Holding an MPhil, MRes, or other postgraduate research qualification won’t affect your eligibility, as long as it’s not a PhD-level (doctoral) qualification.

Funding your PhD with a Loan

Considering a PhD? You can apply for a Doctoral Loan to help cover your tuition fees and living costs. Here’s what you need to know about loan amounts, and payments.

How much can you borrow?

You can apply for a Doctoral Loan of up to £33,301, even without a confirmed place or if you have existing student loans.
You don’t have to borrow the full amount, you can request a smaller loan to cover tuition fees, living costs, or both.
There’s no minimum loan amount, and you can adjust your request (as long as it’s not less than what’s already been paid) up to one month before the academic year ends.

When and how are payments made?

The loan is paid directly to your bank account in three instalments and split equally over the duration of your course. Payments are made:

At the course start date (within 3–5 working days after the University confirms your registration).
4 months after the course start date.
7 months after the course start date

Repaying your Doctoral Loan

Your Doctoral Loan is designed to be affordable, with repayments starting only when you’re earning over the repayment threshold.

When do repayments start?

The earliest you’ll start repaying your loan is the April after you finish or leave your course, but only if your annual income is over £21,000 (the current repayment threshold).

How much will you repay?

You'll repay 6% of your annual income over £21,000 each year.
Example: If you earn £30,000 annually, you’ll repay 6% of £9,000 (£30,000 - £21,000), which is about £45 per month.
If your income drops below £21,000, repayments pause until your income rises above the threshold again.

Want to know more?

For further details, including how much you’ll repay and how interest is calculated visit Student Loan Repayment.

How to apply

Applying for a Doctoral Loan is straightforward, and you'll only need to apply once.

You can apply online through Student Finance or download and print the application forms to send by post. You don't need to wait for a course offer - you can apply anytime.

The deadline for applying is nine months after the first day of the last academic year of your course.

Note: Applying late could limit the amount of loan you receive, so don't delay.

Start your application

Applying for Research Council support

Looking to fund your PhD? UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) includes seven Research Councils that support a wide range of research areas in the UK, investing around £380 million in PhD programs each year

For further information visit:

UK Research and Innovation

Apply for funding

Prospects

Research Council funding

Turn2us

Search for Grants

jobs.ac.uk

Possible PhD funding opportunities

Got a question?

We're here to help make sense of student finance.

Our enquiries team are on hand to ask any questions you may have about how to apply for a student loan, or other financial matters.

Alumni discount

If you've previously completed a University of Staffordshire undergraduate or postgraduate taught degree (excluding HND and foundation degrees) you may be entitled to a discount of up to 25% off your course fees.