Financing your degree

Expenses

This is a general guide to the cost of living you may expect in London in addition to your fees. You will need to assess the full costs of doing your research degree and build your own budget. For example, if you plan to do a lot of your research at home then utility/broadband bills may be higher, and travel lower. Depending on the type of your research you may need to budget for fieldwork or equipment costs.

International students need to show a minimum amount of funding to qualify for a Tier 4 visa. Find out more about visas by visiting our visas page.

You also need to consider your income may drop. Research students are expected to study through the year so additional paid holiday work is not an option, though it may be possible to supplement your income with teaching or other university work.

Funding

Studentships

We work with many businesses on major commercial research projects where a postgraduate researcher is incorporated in their projects, often along with additional academic research input from the University. The business and the University jointly cover fees, provide an annual living allowance, and cover other fees such as extended conference funding.

Postgraduate Masters Loan

For Home students, loans are available with repayment delayed to after qualifying. For the MRes the standard postgraduate loan scheme (£12,167 in 2023/24) can be used.

Doctoral student loans are available to new students starting their PhD in the 2023/24 academic year. You may be able to take out a loan to help pay university fees, living costs and other expenses. You can also check your personal eligibility on the Government website.

Visit Find a PhD for a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions.