Thinking about postgraduate study? Can the numbers add up?
Funding a master’s could now be possible for you, with a Postgraduate Loan.
If you’re starting a full master’s course in England in 2017/18, you can apply for a Postgraduate Loan (PGL) of up to £10,280 to help with course fees and living costs, either part time or full time (particular time frames apply).
You need to be studying a full master’s, and cannot use any credits already studied towards your new course – you can only get the PGL if you are studying the whole master’s from the beginning, so you can’t use it towards an integrated master’s.
To be eligible for the loan, you must be studying at master’s level for the first time, so if you have already achieved that level of study, you will not be eligible for the PGL, but if you have studied part of a master’s in the past, you may still be able to get the loan if you are studying a whole new master’s. If you have already had a PGL before then you can’t get one again, unless you left your course without the qualification because of illness or bereavement or another compelling personal reason, but this has to be agreed by Student Finance England (SFE).
The loan is only available to people who are under the age of 60 on the first day of the first academic year of the course (this is usually around a month before the course actually starts)
There are of course nationality and residency status requirements for eligibility and you should check these before applying.
The loan is considered by SFE to be a contribution towards your fees and living costs, and is unlikely to cover both in full, so you will need another source of income to fund your master’s, such as part-time work. Once you have received the PGL, you will need to use it to pay your fees, and must make those arrangements yourself.
Repayments are made in addition to your undergraduate loan repayments, and students repay 6% of their income over the threshold of £21,000 for the PGL.
Are you a UoB graduate?
The University of Brighton offer scholarships to Post Graduate students who are progressing immediately from their undergraduate courses to a master’s level in 2017. Students whose undergraduate award was a 2:1 or a 1st from the University of Brighton can get a discount in their Post Graduate fees of £3000, while students from other UK institutions can get the £3000 discount if they progress immediately with a First class degree.
Alumni from the University of Brighton who do not progress immediately, or with a lower award may still be eligible for a fee discount of 10%, if they pay their fees before the 1st of November. Full details of the scheme are attached https://www.brighton.ac.uk/current-students/my-finances/fees/alumni-discount.aspx
Be aware that you can’t claim both the Alumni scholarship and the 10% fee discount!
The early settlement rebate is a system where students who pay their fees in full before 1st November in that academic year can be rebated 5% of the fee charged. Current year (16/17) details are here: https://staff.brighton.ac.uk/finance/publicdocs/2016-17_Discount_Waiver_Schemes-final_version.pdf
Professional Career Development loans are still available to those students who cannot get the Post graduate loan, through the Co-op bank. Of course changes to the ownership of that bank may impact this, but at the time of writing, the Co-op remain committed to offering the PCDL: https://www.gov.uk/career-development-loans
When you finish your undergraduate degree, make sure you consider switching your bank account to a Graduate account, as you might be able to get a further period of 0% overdraft charges, which will help you with the repayments during your further study. Have a look at Money Savings Expert: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/graduate-bank-accounts
While you are still on your undergraduate course, you might find it helpful to see our careers team to discuss whether postgraduate study is right for you – you can book an appointment here: Careers@brighton.ac.uk
If you have any funding or finance questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Student Advice Service on 01273 64288. We are open all year round
Student Advice Service
May 2017
Helen Abrahams • May 25, 2017