Whether you are planning to start your PhD or professional doctorate, or have already started, then you may be eligible to apply for a government-backed loan of up to £30,301 (2025/26 amount).
Doctoral loans are available for either full-time or part-time study for a duration of three to eight academic years.
To qualify for a doctoral loan, you must be:
- a UK national ordinarily living in England
- holding EU settled status or indefinite leave to remain, so there are no restrictions on how long you can stay
- under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course
- applying for a doctoral qualification (i.e. a PhD, professional doctorate or DPhil)
- not receiving funding from a UK research council.