Postgraduate 2023 to 2024 applications are now open! The quickest and easiest way to apply is online.
You can apply for the full Postgraduate Master’s Loan amount in any year of your course.
Applying online
The quickest and easiest way to apply is online at www.gov.uk/studentfinance
1. Set up a student finance account
If you have taken out a loan with Student Finance England before, sign in to your existing account to apply. If it’s your first time applying, when you register you’ll be given a unique Customer Reference Number and be asked to create a password and secret answer. You should keep these safe as you’ll need them to sign in your account to check the progress of your application.
2. Fill in and submit your application
You’ll be asked for proof of identity. You can easily do this by giving us your valid UK passport details. If you don’t have a UK passport, you may have to send us evidence.
You’ll then be asked to give us your uni and course details.
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If you can’t find your course in the drop-down list on the application, you should contact your university. |
You’ll be asked how much Postgraduate Master’s Loan you want, up to the maximum for your course. If your course is longer than one year, you’ll be asked how much you want in your first year.
When you apply for student finance you'll need to agree to our terms and conditions.
To get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan you must apply no more than nine months after the first day of the first academic year of your course if you’re studying a one-year course.
If your course is longer than one year, you must apply no later than:
- nine months after the first day of the second year of your course, or
- nine months after the first day of the final academic year of your course.
3. Send any evidence we ask for
We may contact you to ask for evidence to support your application.
Evidence
Proof of identity
If you don’t have a UK passport, you may have to send us evidence, such as a non-UK passport or a copy of your UK birth or adoption certificate.
You should send this as quickly as possible to avoid any delay in your application being processed. Remember to include your Customer Reference Number with everything you send us.
In some circumstances you may be asked to send us additional information or evidence, for example, evidence of your previous addresses or documents from the Home Office. We can’t process your application until we have everything we need, so you should send us anything we ask for as soon as possible so your application isn’t delayed.
Changing your details
If any of your details change after you’ve applied for student finance, don’t worry – you can simply update your application. You can use your online account to make changes to your personal details before or after your course has started. To update any other details, such as your university or course, you need to send us a completed postgraduate 'Change of circumstances' form. You can download this from www.gov.uk/postgraduateloan.
What happens next?
Once we’ve assessed your application, we’ll send you a letter confirming how much Postgraduate Master’s Loan you’re getting. The letter will also show the dates we expect to pay your Postgraduate Master’s Loan to you. You should keep this letter safe as your university might ask to see it when you register.
