Government postgraduate doctoral loans
Find out more about the Postdoctoral Loans on the UK government website.
Eligibility
Eligibility for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan will depend on:
- your course
- your age
- your nationality or residency status
- other types of funding being received in relation to your postgraduate doctoral study
- any previous study you have undertaken
- any qualifications you already hold
To qualify for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan you must meet all of the eligibility criteria.
Doctoral course title format
When completing your Doctoral Loan application with Student Finance England you will be asked to state the course you intend on studying. This will be formatted as follows:
Doctoral Course in [name of school] [FT/PT - full-time or part-time]
If you were to be studying a full-time doctoral course in the School of English then you would select:
Doctoral Course in English FT
If you were to be studying a part-time course in the School of Geography then you would select:
Doctoral Course in Geography PT
The name of your school is detailed on your offer letter.
If you cannot find a course that is specifically linked to your school in this way then please email the Student Funding team via funding@leeds.ac.uk.
Registering with the University
If you apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan, and it is approved, the Student Loan Company will send the University your details and you should then be able to register.
If you are approved for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan you do not need to pay your fees up front, as you will be able to set up an instalment plan to pay the fee in three instalments. If you have any problems with this you should email the Student Funding team via funding@leeds.ac.uk.
How to receive your funding
To receive your loan you will need to have registered, had your identity checked and to confirm you meet all of the eligibility criteria via an online declaration form. After the University confirms your registration with the Student Loan Company the loan is paid directly to you, and can be used as a contribution towards your course fees or living costs.
The loan payments will be divided equally across each year of your course, excluding any overtime period.
A full-time doctoral course at the University has a duration of three years meaning your Doctoral Loan would be paid to you in full over that period.
A part-time doctoral course at the University has a duration of five years meaning your Doctoral loan would be paid to you in full over that period.
If you go into an overtime period, or are granted an extension beyond these standard durations, then no further government funding will be available to you as you will have received your entitlement in full.
Read about the types of research degree you can study at the University of Leeds.
If you are having difficulty applying for your funding please email the Student Funding team via funding@leeds.ac.uk.
Sharia law and postgraduate loans
Islamic Sharia law prohibits 'Riba' – the paying and receiving of interest for profit. Sometimes the inflation-only interest that is paid on study loans is seen as Riba (although not all Islamic scholars share this view). Explore more information about study loans and Sharia Law.
Other sources of funding
Find out more about the funding available for postgraduate students:
You can also search our postgraduate scholarships database or find information on UCAS.