Student finance
Check what you can access in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. You can also read about extra support if you are disabled, have dependants, or are repeating a study year.
See also the Which? Finance guides for students in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Look into NHS: Financial Support at University. Healthcare courses may be eligible for an NHS bursary and/or a student loan.
Propel offers support for students leaving the Care system
Postgraduate Study
Loans:
England: Masters and Doctorate students
Scotland: Masters and Doctorate students
Wales: Masters and Doctorate students
Northern Ireland: Masters and Doctorate students
Studentships:
Studentships are postgraduate positions that have funding attached for fees, living expenses or both. They’re mainly funded by UK Research and Innovation.
Charities and trusts:
Charities and trusts sometimes provide grants, often for students from poorer backgrounds or those who’ve achieved academic excellence. Find out more at your local library in these publications:
- the Educational Grants Directory
- the Charities Digest
- the Grants Register
- the Directory of Grant Making Trusts
You can also use the Family Action grant search.
Learned societies:
Societies sometimes offer funding for postgraduate or postdoctoral research. They include:
- the British Academy (for humanities and social sciences - postdoctorate only)
- the Royal Society (for science - postdoctorate only)
Other help:
You might be able to get funding from:
- an individual - sometimes people donate awards to help postgraduates (these are usually offered through your university or college)
- your employer - they might sponsor you if the course is relevant to your job
- a Disabled Students’ Allowance
- the Student Awards Agency for Scotland if you’re from Scotland
Help at University
Your University will offer a range of support through its Student Welfare Office and Housing Support Services. Your personal tutor will also be able to listen to your concerns and direct you to appropriate resources. Your University will also have its own Student Union which will offer online/face-to-face support with whatever issues you face, from finance to housing to study to anything affecting your physical/emotional well being. See also...
NUS: National Union of Students
Government help
Universal Credit is for those on a low income, those who are parents, those who have disabilities, those who are carers.
Are you eligible for help with NHS prescriptions and health costs?
Organisations that can assist
Benefits Calculators are anonymous and give you an idea about what you may be due in terms of income-related benefits, tax credits, Council Tax Reduction, Carer’s Allowance, and Universal Credit. They also indicate how your benefits will be affected if you start work or change your working hours
NHS England have teamed up with the Money Helper Service to provide a free and impartial telephone helpline and What's App contact
Citizens' Advice Bureau offers help with debt
Shelter offers housing advice, including emergency help
StepChange offers free debt advice and support
Gingerbread gives support and advice to single parent families
Cavell Nurses Trust helps midwives, both working and retired, when they are suffering personal or financial hardship
Royal College of Midwives have some financial support available for their members, as well as resources to protect your physical and mental wellbeing, and dedicated pages for student midwives
Royal College of Nursing offer similar resources pages for their members
NHS Credit Union offers loans to members in Scotland or the north of England
Reducing your costs
MoneySavingExpert Martin Lewis offers all sorts of tips and tricks to lower your costs, including via an email newsletter you can sign up to, and his BBC podcast series
