PhD loans in England 2025

PhD loans are available in 2025/26 to help Doctoral students living in England or Wales pay for their course fees and living expenses

PhD loans at a glance

Worth up to 拢30,301 in 2025/26 for UK nationals resident in England.
Welsh Doctoral loans of up to 拢29,130 are also available.
Study at any UK university that awards PhDs.
Repayments combined with Masters loans.

As a resident in England, how much can I borrow?

With these government-backed postgraduate Doctoral loans, you can borrow any amount up to 拢30,301 in 2025/26 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2025.

Alternatively, if your course started between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025, you'll be eligible to receive up to 拢29,390.

PhD loans are not means-tested, so you can apply for the full amount regardless of your financial background. Also, the loan can be used however you like - to cover fees, other study-related costs, or to help with your living expenses.

If you have a disability, you may be entitled to additional support in the form of Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs).

Am I eligible for a PhD loan?

You must:

be a UK or Irish national or have settled/pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
be ordinarily resident in England
have lived in the UK, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for three years before starting the course
be under the age of 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course
not already hold a PhD or equivalent qualification
not be receiving a Research Council studentship (including fees-only), NHS funding or other government finance towards your PhD.

You can't get the loan if you began your PhD before the 2023/24 academic year.

To discover whether you qualify for PhD funding, see GOV.UK - Doctoral loan eligibility.

Is my Doctorate eligible?

Most full and part-time PhD programmes, Professional Doctorates, and PhDs upgraded from Master of Philosophy (MPhil) are eligible, provided they are hosted by a UK university.

Your programme must last for at least three years and no longer than eight years. There are no restrictions on what subject you can study, and your PhD research proposal will not be assessed as part of your loan application.

PhDs by publication are not eligible because they do not involve an active period of studying. You also can't get a PhD loan for a research Masters degree, such as an MRes or a standalone MPhil. For these, you should apply for a postgraduate loan instead.

If you're studying for a PhD within one of the following, your eligibility depends on whether your research is funded by a Research Council studentship:

Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT)
Doctoral Training Centre (DTC)
Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP).

If it is, you won't be able to get a loan.

Read more about the 5 routes to getting a Doctorate.

How do I apply for a PhD loan?

To apply, you'll need to provide proof of your identity. For UK nationals, you can include your passport details. If you don't have a UK passport, or it has expired, Student Finance England will need to see your original birth or adoption certificate.

Students from other nations will need to provide one of the following, as well as supporting information, such as evidence of their residency status:

passport
national ID card
biometric residence card or permit.

For full details of how to apply for PhD funding online via Student Finance England, visit鈥�GOV.UK鈥�- Apply for a Doctoral loan.

If you can't apply online, the application form provides an address where you can apply by post.

Be aware that you'll only need to apply once for the Doctoral loan, even if your course lasts longer than a year. Student Finance England will get in contact with you before the next year of your course starts to let you know how much you'll receive.

When should I apply?

The deadline for Doctoral loan applications is nine months after the first day of the final academic year of your PhD.

This means you can still apply after you have started studying.

How will I receive my PhD loan?

Your loan will be paid in three instalments (33%, 33% and 34%) per academic year directly into your bank account by the Student Loans Company (SLC). It will be spread evenly across your studies.

When do I start repaying my loan?

Repayments will start once you have completed your PhD and you're earning at least 拢21,000 per year (2025/26), amounting to 拢1,750 per month before tax and other deductions. You'll pay at a rate of 6% of your income over this threshold.

If you're employed, your repayments will be taken out of your salary automatically on a monthly basis. If you're self-employed, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will calculate how much you must repay on completion of your annual self-assessment tax return.

You'll be charged interest on your loan from the date you receive the first instalment from the SLC. This is calculated at the retail price index (RPI) plus 3%. The interest rate currently stands at 7.8%.

What happens to my loan payments if I leave my course early?

You'll stop receiving your loan if you withdraw from your PhD or transfer to an ineligible programme, but you'll still be liable to repay what you have borrowed. To discover how much you'll need to pay, contact the postgraduate loan team at Student Finance England.

What if I have already taken out other student loans?

If you have previously taken out a postgraduate loan to fund Masters-level study, this will be combined with your PhD loan. You'll therefore repay a single debt at a rate of 6% of your income over 拢21,000.

However, debt from your undergraduate student loan is paid concurrently rather than combined. This means you may find yourself repaying up to 15% of your income - 9% for your undergraduate loan and 6% for your postgraduate/PhD loan.

When are Doctoral loans written off?

Any outstanding balance on your PhD loan will be written off 30 years after your loan first becomes due for repayment.

What other PhD funding is available?

Remember that PhD loans cannot be combined with other public funding, such as Research Council studentships or NHS funding.

Are PhD loans available in Wales?

Yes. The Welsh government has confirmed that eligible students ordinarily resident in Wales can borrow up to 拢29,130 for full or part-time PhD courses starting in 2025/26. As with the postgraduate Doctoral loan scheme for residents in England, it isn't means-tested.

If your course started in 2024/25, you can apply for a loan of up to 拢28,655.

To explore how and when to apply, visit鈥�Student Finance Wales - Finance for postgraduate Doctoral courses.

Can I receive Doctoral funding in Scotland or Northern Ireland鈥�?

No. PhD loans are not currently available in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but there are other options you can pursue in order to fund your education.

For instance, organisations such as Student Information Scotland and the Department for the Economy (DfE) provide details of the PhD scholarships available to residents of Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.