Postgraduate fees and funding
Cost of living is an issue for most people these days and many postgraduate students are balancing the cost of study with other financial commitments such as housing and childcare. There is funding for postgraduate study – you just have to be creative and determined about sourcing it sometimes! Here, we help you track it down.
I am an international studentUniversity-initiated funding
We understand the critical importance of financial support in achieving your academic and professional goals so we offer postgraduates a number of funding options.
We are proud of our alumni and, for those Bedfordshire Honours graduates who wish to continue or return to studying with us, we are delighted to offer a 20% tuition-fee discount* for on-campus, postgraduate-level studies.
The discount is available for current graduates progressing from undergraduate study to full- or part-time Master's courses as well as past graduates of the University of Bedfordshire, DMU’s Bedford campus or the University of Luton wishing to return to study at Master’s level.
You may be eligible for a sports scholarship if you are a high-standard sport performer, coach and/or official. There are six sports scholarships on offer and the award is designed to support and develop your progress in your chosen sport.
The University is committed to supporting vulnerable students, ensuring they can access and remain in higher education without barriers. Our financial hardship funding provides vital support, assisting those who need extra help to cover specific costs that are not met by grants, student loans or other funding sources.
Find out more about financial hardship funding
We also provide additional initiatives to support students who are struggling with their finances.
- £2.50 on-campus meal deal as well as £1 breakfast*
- £1 lunch one day every week*
- Beds SU community pantry for staples such as pasta, soup, milk and hygiene products
- Beds SU ‘swop shop’ for good-quality pre-loved items
- Free gym and fitness classes*
- Laptop loans
- Budgeting support from our Money Advice team
Hear from Bailey Thomas, Sport & Exercise Science student
"The benefits of a sport scholarship are use of the laboratories, knowledgeable staff and coaches, training and funding. The funding supported me throughout uni, whether it was gas money, feeding myself or buying equipment for my sport. Just go for it and apply." Bailey Thomas, Sport & Exercise Science student, awarded a Gold sport scholarship for his achievements in rugby.
External funding options
There are many ways to obtain additional funding or loan support from outside the University. Depending on your circumstances and your course, there may be more funding options available than you realise.
If you’re starting a Master’s degree, you could get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan to help with course fees and living costs. You can get up to £12,471* if your course starts on or after 1 August 2024. There is also a Postgraduate Doctoral loan for those starting a doctoral degree, offering up to £29,390* if your degree starts on or after 1 August 2024. These loans are not based on your income and are paid directly to you.
Studentships are an amount of money awarded to a student to work on a doctoral research project at a university. These awards are mainly funded by UK Research and Innovation and often advertised on job vacancy areas of university websites.
Visit Bedfordshire's Job Vacancies to see if we have any research studentships available.
You could also approach one of the Research Councils UK: between them, these seven awarding bodies offer funding in mostly all areas of postgraduate study, with the majority of funding going to PhD applicants. The seven councils are:
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
- Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
- Medical Research Council (MRC)
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
- Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
In 2024, the Councils dedicated over £500 million to support doctoral studentships. For more information, visit the postgraduate website Prospects
If you are studying a course in Initial Teacher Training, such as one of our PGCEs, you can approach Student Finance for the financial package of the Tuition Fee Loan and the Maintenance Loan. You may also be able to get a training bursary or scholarship worth up to £30,000* if you train to teach in certain ‘priority’ subjects. You do not have to pay back a bursary and scholarship.
Read more about Initial Teacher Training bursaries
If you are studying a postgraduate course preparing you for employment in social work or healthcare, you may be eligible for a Social Work Bursary or NHS bursary/funding. The Social Work Bursary is worth up to £3,362* for a university outside London. The NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) supports those training in nursing, midwifery and allied healthcare roles, and offers a training grant of up to £5,000* plus additional grants for parental support, travel and accommodation expenses, and financial hardship
This allowance covers the study-related costs you have due to a disability, long-term illness or mental health problem. How much you are entitled to depends on your individual needs (not your household income) but you can get support up to £26,948* a year for entry year 2024.
If you are working and your course is of benefit to your employer, they may have a budget for staff development and consider paying all, or part, of the course fees as well as giving you study leave or day release to attend on-campus sessions. Employer sponsorship could also extend to a contribution to the cost of books and materials. It’s well worth asking your manager or human resources department whether they have sponsorship programmes in place or, if they haven’t, would they be willing to sponsor you to develop your skills and expertise through postgraduate study.
There are a number of organisations that may be able to provide funding for postgraduate study, including ‘learned societies’ such as The British Academy (for humanities and social sciences courses), Royal Academy of Engineering (for engineering courses) and The Royal Society (for science courses).
Find other external organisations that offer funding through these independent websites:
Many of our students decide to top-up their income by working part-time during their studies. Our award-winning Careers and Employability Service at the University specialises in helping students find part-time work, and will fully understand your needs and other commitments when finding you a part-time job.
University of Bedfordshire tuition fees
What do they cover? Your tuition fees help cover the costs of the University such as teaching staff salaries; improving and maintaining the University’s buildings and facilities; and investing in the most up-to-the-minute equipment and technology.
How much are they? Within the higher education sector, we try to keep our tuition fees as competitive as possible. Our postgraduate fees for UK-based students vary according to what course you are taking but, in academic year 2024/25, the home-student fee for a full-time taught Master’s degree is £10,000* per annum. For a full-time Master’s by Research, PhD and MPhil, the fee is £5,550* per annum for home students.
Access the most up-to-date information on our fees
Are there any extra costs? See individual course information for any additional costs attached to your course. For those taking a research degree requiring extensive use of specialist Universities facilities and equipment, we may quote a bench fee in addition to the programme fees. Our fees don’t cover the cost of books, stationery, printing and photocopying, or thesis binding. If you have a car, you may also have to cover parking costs.
*This information is subject to change.