Doctoral Loans

The UK government provide Doctoral Loans (DL) worth up to £28,673 for Postgraduate Doctoral level study.

Personal Eligibility

An applicant for a Postgraduate DL must meet all of the following eligibility criteria:

1. Residency – You must be a UK or Irish national, UK resident, or have settled or pre-settled status in the UK, and have been resident in the UK for three years by 1st September 2023. You must have been most recently resident in England, and must not have moved there from elsewhere in the UK solely for the purpose of attending the course.  The Student Loans Company (SLC) will make residency checks as part of the application process. European Union (EU) are also eligible to apply for a PGL. European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss migrant workers may also be eligible to apply.
2. Age – Must be aged under 60 on 1st September 2023.
3. Previous Loans – Any applicant with outstanding SLC loan arrears will not be eligible for a PGL. Outstanding SLC loan arrears means having missed any scheduled repayments, as opposed to having an outstanding SLC balance.
4. Previous Study – Any applicant who already holds a Postgraduate Doctoral level degree or an equivalent qualification will not eligible for a DL.

There are additional eligibility rules regarding DLs.

See the government’s website for additional information on eligibility, payment and repayment details.