When applying for postgraduate study it is important to consider the availability of finance for both tuition fees and living costs.
The majority of postgraduate students pay their tuition fees through private sources such as:
Postgraduate Student Loans
Master's Loan
Postgraduate Master's Loans of up to £11,570 are available to new master's degree students starting degrees from 2021 onwards. The postgraduate student loan will operate in much the same way as your undergraduate student loan for maintenance.
You can apply for up to £11,570, and these funds can be used for either tuition or living costs. The loan will not be means-tested, and the repayments will be calculated using a similar method to your undergraduate loan repayments. Find out more about eligiblity and how to apply.
Doctoral Loan
Doctoral Loans of up to £27,265 will be available to students during their postgraduate Doctoral course to help towards course and living costs. It will be paid directly to you and is not based on your household income.
The total amount students borrow will be paid evenly over the length of their course. For example, if you apply for the maximum amount of Postgraduate Doctoral Loan and study over four years, you will get £6,816 in each year of your course.
Find out more about eligiblity and how to apply.
Where do I start searching for funding?
Information about the wide range of postgraduate funding opportunities at King's College London can be found via our searchable online Postgraduate Funding Database. This database contains both taught and research funding opportunities and allows you to conduct a search by a number of filters including subject area and country of domicile.
The King’s Centre for Doctoral Studies administers/offers a wide range of postgraduate studentships and bursaries for both masters and doctoral/PhD programmes.
Each scholarship will hold varying application processes, eligibility criteria and deadlines, please go through the information carefully to see which scholarships you may be eligible for. The Centre for Doctoral Studies offers advice via email, telephone and through one-to-one appointments to prospective and current postgraduate students who are seeking studentship and scholarship funding.
Prospective students who have applied to the college can also benefit from the Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding, which offers guidance and tools to help you prepare a winning grant application.
Research Council Funding (Home/EU students only)
For Home/EU students a main source of funding is through Research Councils. However, competition for these grants is fierce so you need to start researching your options early. If you unsuccessful, it is essential that you find other ways to cover your living costs and or tuition fees.
The majority of the awards from Research Councils are available for doctoral/PhD research programmes, however a few Research Councils do offer support at masters level.
Applications are usually made through the College, either via the relevant department or centrally through an open competition. Programmes with funding are listed on our funding website database and on our online prospectus.
International Students
International students should check to see what their government offers in the way of scholarships, as well as contacting the British Council in their country or viewing the British Council ‘Funding your studies’ web pages. These provide details of a wide range of funding opportunities for international students and country specific funding.
Sources of finance for overseas students may include:
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funding by your government
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sponsorship by your employer
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private sources – a student’s own savings or funds borrowed from family
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scholarships and bursaries offered by private agencies and charities. Contact your nearest British Council Office or education department.
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scholarships and funding provided by the British Government.
International students requiring a visa to study in the UK are required to demonstrate that they are able to meet the total costs of their study, to cover both fees and maintenance (for both yourself and any dependants in the UK). UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) requires students to have a budget of at least £1,265 per month in addition to tuition fees.
For further information on this please contact Advice & Guidance in Student Services.
Current Postgraduate Students
King’s recognises that students studying and living in London can face wide a range of financial pressures and concerns.
We offer Hardship Funds to help eligible students who need extra financial support to continue their course at King’s. Hardship funding is available throughout the academic year whilst funds permit.
Take our quick quiz to find out which hardship fund is the right one for you.
Spend some time reading through the information on each fund to familiarise yourself with the eligibility criteria and application process before making an applciation.