UK Postgraduate Master's Loans

Applying for a UK Government Postgraduate Master's Loan

Applications will open on 20 July 2026 for students who will be commencing a Master's course in the 2026-2027 academic year. Information about receiving a UK government loan for starting a Master's course in October 2027 will be available from summer 2027.

If you are struggling to locate your course when you apply online with Student Finance England, please send StudentLoans@admin.cam.ac.uk an email and we will be able to assist you.

Courses that are not eligible for the Postgraduate Loan

The one-year, part-time PGCE-MEd course, which follows on from the PGCE and leads to a Master's of Education, IS NOT ELIGIBLE for the Postgraduate Loan if you are a student domiciled in England or Wales. The one-year, part-time MEd (PACES) IS ALSO NOT ELIGIBLE for the Postgraduate Loan if you are a student domiciled in England or Wales. This is because these are top-up courses rather than a full Master's and are excluded by SLC eligibility criteria. For more information, visit the Student Finance England's Eligibility - Postgraduate Master's Loan page.

Important guidance for completing the Postgraduate Master's loan application

If you received an offer to study a postgraduate Master's course at the University of Cambridge, and wish to apply for a postgraduate loan, please make sure you follow these steps when completing your PGL online application:

  • When asked "Where will you be studying?" search for ‘Cambridge’
  • From the list, please select ‘University of Cambridge’ NOT, for instance, ‘Darwin College – University of Cambridge’ even if you have college membership
  • When asked “What course will you study?” search for your course name (for example Biological Sciences). Use the name of the course as specified in your offer letter
  • If you have already been given college membership, please select the course option with the college name. For instance, Biological Science 1 year 6 October 2023 Churchill College
  • If you do NOT yet have college membership, please select the course option "University of Cambridge – College not yet known". This will allow you to progress with your application. 

Tips for filling out a postal PGL application

  • Where it asks 'University name' put 'University of Cambridge'
  • Where it asks 'Name of campus/location' put the name of the College where you have college membership, for instance Darwin College
  • Where is asks 'Course name' put the name of the course you will be studying, for instance Economics.

Further information

  • If you've selected course option 'University of Cambridge - College not yet known' once you're allocated a College, arrangements will be made by a Student Loans administrator in the Funding Team, Student Registry, to inform the appropriate person at your College in order that they can arrange a transfer into your College.
  • If your application needs to be updated with any change of circumstances, please make the updates before the start of your course.

After the start of the course, it will be the responsibility of the College to administer any changes to a student’s circumstances, which might affect the loan, such as a course change.

Amounts and eligibility

The UK Government provides Postgraduate Loans for Master's students through a scheme administered by Student Finance England.

  • For students who will be starting a Master's course in 2025-26, the loans are up to £12,858.
  • For students who will be starting a Master's course in 2026-27, the loans are up to £13,206.

A Postgraduate Loan (PGL) for Masters study will be:

  • A contribution towards the costs of study, i.e. it will be at the student’s discretion to use the loan towards fees, maintenance costs or other costs
  • Non-means tested
  • Paid directly to the student.

Eligibility:

  • You must be a UK national, or have EU settled status, or have indefinite leave to remain, so there are no restrictions on how long you can stay
  • You must normally live in England and didn't move here just to study
  • You will have lived in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 years before starting your course
  • You may be eligible if you're an EU national and meet the criteria detailed on the Student Finance England Master's Loan page 
  • You must not be eligible for an NHS Bursary
  • You must not be getting a Social Work Bursary (unless you only get a Placement Allowance)
  • You must not already have a Master's degree, or qualification that's equivalent or higher
  • You must be under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course.

You can receive other funding as long as it's not Public Funding (NHS bursary or Social Work Bursary) as detailed in the eligibility criteria.

Student finance for EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic or Liechtenstein nationals from August 2021

If you're starting a course on or after 1 August 2021, you must have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to get student finance. This does not apply if you're an Irish national.

Related links

Students domiciled in Wales can apply for a Postgraduate Master's Loan through a scheme administered by Student Finance Wales.

If your course starts on or after 1 August 2026, you can apply for Postgraduate Master's Finance and receive up to £29,385.

If you're studying for 2, 3 or 4 academic years, the loan will be divided equally across each year of your course.

Further information including detailed eligibility criteria, is available at Student Finance Wales.

Students domiciled in Scotland can apply for a tuition fee loan of up to £7,000. This is paid directly to the University. Students can also apply for a loan of up to £6,900 towards living costs. This is paid into your bank account in regular instalment during the academic year. If your course is one year in duration, you can receive the maximum loan in that year. If you are studying for two academic years, then your loan is divided equally across each year of your course.

If you would like to apply for a SAAS (Student Awards Agency Scotland) funded Postgraduate Loan, please email StudentLoans@admin.cam.ac.uk with your full name and the name of the course you have been offered a place at Cambridge. We then will then arrange for the course to be set up on the SLC system and will explain how to find it when submitting your application.

Further information including detailed eligibility criteria, is available on the webpage Student Awards Agency Scotland.

Students domiciled in Northern Ireland can apply for a tuition fee loan of up to £10,000. This is paid directly to the University. If your course is one year in duration you can receive the maximum £10,000 in that year. If you are studying for two or three academic years, the loan will be divided equally across each year of your course.

If you would like to apply for a SFNI (Student Finance Northern Ireland) funded Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loan, please email StudentLoans@admin.cam.ac.uk with your full name and the name of the course you have been offered a place at Cambridge. We will then arrange for the course up on the SLC system and will explain how to find it when submitting your application.

Further information including detailed eligibility criteria, is available at: Student Finance Northern Ireland.

Please refer to the links provided for information on Postgraduate Master's Loans, and if you have any additional questions please e-mail: StudentLoans@admin.cam.ac.uk