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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:

  1. Industrial sponsorship
  2. Borrowed money
  3. Scholarships from agencies and charities

For most students, funding for their living costs is a combination of:

  1. Bank loans
  2. Personal savings
  3. Family support
  4. Income from part-time work

King’s also administers and provides an extensive range of funding opportunities for postgraduate taught courses throughout the year.

Postgraduate student loans

Master's Loan

If your course starts on or after 1 August 2024, Postgraduate Master's Loans of up to £12,471 are available to new master's degree students. Visit the UK Government website for further information.

The postgraduate student loan will operate in much the same way as your undergraduate student loan for maintenance.

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.

The Postgraduate Master's loan is administered by Student Finance England (SFE). Funding for postgraduate loans is different if you normally live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Applications open in early summer, usually in May/June and can take between 6-8 weeks to be assessed by student finance, we recommend all students make their applications as soon as possible in order to have all funding in place by the start of term.

Once your application has been assessed you will receive an entitlement letter - please make sure all amounts are as you requested.

Find out more about eligibility and how to apply on Student Finance England's website.

Doctoral Loan

If your course starts on or after 1 August 2024, Doctoral Loans of up to £29,390 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 eligibility and how to apply on the UK government's Doctoral Loan webpage.

Finding funding guidance

Information about the wide range of postgraduate funding opportunities at King's College London can be found via our searchable online funding opportunities 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 Doctoral College 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 (please see details below), which offers guidance and tools to help you prepare a winning grant application.

Hints and tips when applying for funding:

  1. Start researching options early - most new schemes are launched in the autumn months for funding commencing the following academic session.
  2. Check deadlines - both of the funding body and of the institution, if applicable.
  3. Do your research - on programme, institution, location and academics.
  4. Take advice - have you made the right choices?
  5. Think about and contact referees - before and during the process.
  6. Think about your research proposal/personal statement - does it answer all the questions, and does it tell the funders everything they need to know.
  7. Presentation - check for typos and check the formatting of the application.
  8. Remember: it is your responsibility to ensure that the application is complete and meets the requirements set out by the funding body, this includes the submission of references and academic transcripts.

Scholarships & bursaries

King's offers numerous scholarship and bursary opportunities for prospective postgraduate students.

To view a full list of available funding opportunities and check if you are eligible for financial support during your studies at King's, visit our funding opportunities catalogue.

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 are 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 opportunities database and on our online course pages.

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’ webpages. 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:

  1. Funding by your government
  2. Sponsorship by your employer
  3. Private sources – a student’s own savings or funds borrowed from family
  4. Scholarships and bursaries offered by private agencies and charities. Contact your nearest British Council Office or education department.
  5. 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 £1,334 per month in addition to tuition fees.

For further information on this please contact King's Money & Housing Advice Service in Student Services.

US loans and veteran's affairs

Federal Direct Loans are provided by the US government and are available to US citizens and eligible non-citizens.

King’s College London’s Student Funding Office administers and processes all loans on behalf of eligible students. In order to apply for your loans you will need to follow the instructions below. Please refer to the specialised tabs at the bottom of this page for more detailed advice in a variety of areas.

Am I eligible for Federal Student Aid?

You must be enrolled at least half time on an eligible course at King’s in order to receive the Federal Loan.

If any part of your course is delivered online (for example, as for distance learning courses) or if you will be studying in the USA for any part of your course, you will not be able to take any Federal Loans, though you may apply for a private study loan.

If you have been convicted of an offence under any US Law involving possession or sale of a controlled substance then you will not be eligible for a US Federal Loan for a specified period. Please see full information on our disclosure page.

Where can I fund out more?

Alternative guide to postgraduate funding

The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding Online is all about alternative sources of funding, especially charities or trusts which make awards (fees, maintenance, research costs) to any student regardless of subject, or nationality. You can find out more by visiting the Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding external website.

The Alternative Guide contains a huge database of funding opportunities, comprehensive guidance, and numerous tools to help you prepare a winning grant application.

King's College London has purchased a licence to the Guide, and so it’s free for all current students and staff to use!

Login to the Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding webpage now to make the most of this really useful resource.

If you are a prospective student who has applied to the university, please email doctoralstudies@kcl.ac.uk with your King's admissions ID number to get an access PIN.

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