Scholarships and funding

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help eligible students with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course, such as a PhD.

You can get up to:

• £29,390 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2024
• £28,678 if your course started between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024
• £27,892 if your course started between 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023

If you apply after your first year

You can apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan in any year of your course. But if you apply after your first year, you might not get the maximum amount.

You can get up to:

• £12,167 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2023
• £11,836 if your course started between 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023
• £11,570 if your course started between 1 August 2021 and 31 July 2022

What you need to know

• Whether you qualify depends on your course, your age and your nationality or residency status.
• The amount you’ll get is not based on you or your family’s income.
• The loan will be paid to you in 3 instalments of 33%, 33% and 34% each year. After your application has been approved, you’ll be sent a letter with your payment dates or you can check them in your online account.
• You get the first payment after your course start date, once your university confirms that you’ve registered.
• Use your online account to change your personal details, for example bank, contact details or course details.
• You may qualify for other funding, for example grants from charities or trusts.
• You will not be eligible for an Adult Dependants’ Grant, a Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance from Student Finance if you’re studying a doctoral course.

A ‘home fees’ assessment by the University does not guarantee Government funding for fees or living costs. The Student Loans Company will conduct its own eligibility assessment. If you have been assessed as eligible for home fees based on an application to the EU Settlement Scheme, your entitlement to Student Loans Company funding for fees or living costs may be affected in future years if your status changes. Once registered at the University, all students, regardless of funding source and fee status, are liable for their fees. Further information can be found in the University’s Tuition Fees and Liability Policy and on our fee status page.

For further information and how to apply

UK government student finance information

If you are from Wales

Most students starting a full-time or part-time postgraduate Doctoral course can apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan to help with your course costs. How much you get does not depend on your household income.

You might also be able to get extra help on top of this if you have a disability.

You can borrow up to:

• £28,395 if your course starts between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024
• £27,880 if your course starts between 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023

To check eligibility and for further details please visit Student Finance Wales.

We want you to have access to all the training and development you need to excel in your research degree, which is why we give all our research students up to £2,500 funding to curate a tailored training plan with Proficio.

Following the UK's decision to withdraw from the European Union, EU students who started their studies after October 2021 are likely to be classed as international students for tuition fee purposes and you will need to pay international fees. We'll assess your fee status when you apply to Essex and if you are successful in gaining an offer, your fee status will be confirmed in your offer letter. Visit our fee status page for more information.

EU students starting their studies after October 2021 will no longer be eligible for UK Government funding unless you have settled or pre-settled status. For more information, please see our changes after Brexit webpage.

We offer a wide range of scholarships, studentships and bursaries to make funding your studies easier, including our Postgraduate Research EU Scholarship worth up to £8000.

If you're an Essex graduate, you could also be eligible for our alumni loyalty discount.

There are country-specific funding opportunities, please see our country pages for more information.

There are country-specific funding opportunities, please see our country pages for more information.

If you're a US student you could be eligible to take out a US direct loan.

Our University currently subscribes to the Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding. This independent guide to financing postgraduate study can be an invaluable tool to anyone considering study beyond undergraduate level. The Guide is free to use for our current and prospective students.

You can access the resource using the following PIN: 2529.

Research council funding is primarily available via doctoral training centres. However, it's worth checking the research council for your subject to see if they are offering any other studentships or funding:

• Biotechnology & Biological Science Research Council (BBSRC)
• Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
• Economics & Social Research Council (ESRC)
• Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
• Medical Research Council (MRC)
• Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
• Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)

You might be able to apply for a graduate loan, either from your own or another high street bank. Make sure you compare the various packages on offer to find out which is best for you. A first step is to look online for sites which do this for you and then make an appointment to talk to the local branch of the banks which interest you. Don't be put off if you already have an existing overdraft. Many banks will now take on the responsibility of this is you are taking out a graduate loan.

Information about charities and trusts that offer awards and sponsorship to students and their application procedures can be found in the Educational Grants Directory and The Grants Register. Copies of these are available in our Albert Sloman Library, as well as in most public libraries.

You can also try a grants search at Turn2us. Use the keyword "higher education" and then narrow your search by filling in other information about yourself.

Many charities and trusts are only able to award a small number of grants each year, so competition can be fierce. To be in with the best chance of receiving an award it is a good idea to:

• research charities and trusts carefully as they may have eligibility requirements (eg based on your area of residence, family background and subject area)
• apply as soon as possible (many give deadlines for applications)

Funding for Acting and Drama courses can be limited and competition for grants is fierce, but it’s worth looking at the sources of funding above as well as these, which are aimed specifically at students in your field:

• The Society for Theatre Research
• The South Square Trust
• The Costume Society
• Minnie Morgan’s Scholarship – Open to those under 25 who attended secondary school in Llanelli.
  To apply write to:
  Director of Resources
  Carmarthenshire County Council
  County Hall
  Carmarthen
  Dyfed
  SA31 1JP

For ideas of how to secure additional funding take a look at Damian Gaskin’s booklet ‘How to Raise £40,000 and train at Drama School’ (.pdf). (The author has asked you to bear in mind that this was written in 1996, well before all the fundraising advances that the internet and social media have given you and so needs to be read in that context. Please do not contact the author himself for sponsorship!)

You can also take a look at Degrees For Free which has some useful and interesting ideas for fundraising and money-saving. (There is a book of the same name, but don’t feel compelled to buy it, the website is useful in its own right!)

We provide information for parents, carers and care leavers, including additional sources of funding that you may be eligible for.

• Students with children
• Carers
• Care leavers

Some companies offer to sponsor students, and this is becoming an increasingly common source of funding in certain subject areas, primarily the sciences. Some firms will also consider finance-related disciplines such as accountancy and business studies.

Financial assistance offered by a company will usually be accompanied by work experience which you might be asked to undertake during your holidays or after graduation.

We and the Students' Union offer financial support if you are experiencing difficulty with your finances in the form of a bursaries, grants or loans depending on your situation. Have a look on our Financial Support page for more information.