Doctoral loans for 2025-entry
The English and Welsh governments introduced a loan scheme for doctoral courses from 2018/19 entry. If you are a new entrant for 2025/26, find out if you are eligible and how you can take out a loan through the information on this page.
Please note that details for students starting in 2025 have not yet been released in full by the UK government. All figures and eligibility criteria on these pages refer to those who started in 2024, unless stated otherwise, and will be updated when further information is available.
How much is the loan?
You can apply for a loan of up to £29,390 (or £28,655 for students from Wales) towards your course and living costs.
The loan will be divided equally across each year of your course in line with the number of years course fees are payable.
The loan is paid into your bank account in three instalments during the academic year.
More information
You can find details about eligibility, application and repayment in the sections listed across the top of this page. An overview of doctoral loans and details of how to apply is available from your regional funding agency's website:
Who can take out the loan?
Full eligibility details can be found on your regional funding agency’s website:
For courses starting on or after 1 August 2021, the UK government has confirmed that EU, other EEA, and Swiss Nationals will be eligible for student finance from the UK government if they have UK citizens’ rights (i.e. if they have pre-settled or settled status, or if they are an Irish citizen covered by the Common Travel Area arrangement). The support you can access from the government will depend on your residency status. Further details on eligibility can be found on the UK government website.
Which courses are covered?
The information in this section is presented as a guide only. You should refer to the UK government website for further details.
Taught and research standalone doctoral courses in any subject are covered by the loan. Courses must start on or after 1 August 2018, and be 3 to 8 years in duration. Courses can be studied on a full-time or part-time basis.
Doctoral courses that include an integrated master’s degree are eligible for the Postgraduate Doctoral Loan, but you must be admitted to and enrol on the doctoral course. You would not be able to make a separate application for Postgraduate Master’s Finance.
If your DPhil course commences in Hilary or Trinity term please contact the Student Fees and Funding team and we can arrange for a Hilary or Trinity term start version of your course to be set up within the Student Finance application portal if it has not been added previously.
How to apply
Applications for students starting in 2025/26 are expected to open in May 2025. You are encouraged to apply as early as possible via your regional funding agency's website to ensure that funding is in place for the start of your course.
The information below is the University's best understanding of the current position. Any changes the government make to repayment arrangements are outside the control of the University.
Will I be charged interest on my loan?
Interest is charged at the Retail Price Index (RPI) plus 3% from the day your first payment is made until your loan is repaid in full.
How do I repay my loan?
You have to repay any loan you borrow, but not until your income is over £21,000 a year. Repayments will be based on your income, not what you borrow.
You will start making repayments the April after you finish or leave your course, or the April four years after the start of your course.
You will only start making repayments once your income is over the current threshold of £403 a week, £1,750 a month or £21,000 a year. You will repay 6% of what you earn over the threshold. So if you are paid monthly and earn £2,500 before tax you’ll repay 6% of the difference between what you earn and the threshold (£1,750):
£2,500 - £1,750 = £750
6% of £750 = £45
So your Postgraduate Loan repayment would be £45 that month.
What if I already have a student loan?
If you already have a Postgraduate Master’s Loan then you’ll make a combined repayment of 6% over the income threshold of £21,000 covering both postgraduate loans.
If you have had any other loan from the Student Loans Company then you will continue to make separate repayments alongside those for your postgraduate loan.
More information
You can find further information on repayments at the GOV.UK Repayments website.