Doctoral Loans - Durham University

Doctoral Loan - Student Loans Company (SLC)

UK students starting a doctoral degree in the 2025/26 academic year may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan. For students ordinarily resident in England, applications are made through Student Finance England.

The loan offers:

Up to £30,301 per student for the full duration of the course (Split across all years)

The loan is considered as a contribution towards the cost of study, which can be used at the student’s discretion for tuition fees, living costs, or other study‑related expenses

The loan is non-means-tested (Not based on your household income)

Payments are made directly to the student, usually in three equal instalments per academic year

Please note that funding cannot be backdated. If you apply in a later year of study, you will not be able to receive funding for previous years.

Important: The course length used for funding purposes is calculated from initial registration to the expected final thesis submission date. For a standard full‑time PhD, this normally includes:

Three years of supervised study, plus one year writing‑up period (Continuing Organisation / CO), results in a total course length of four years.

Funding arrangements for doctoral study differ across the UK. Students ordinarily resident in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland should check eligibility and funding details with the relevant body:

Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS)

Student Finance Wales (SFW)

Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI)

For further information and to confirm eligibility, students should visit the website of their relevant funding authority, such as Student Finance England.

To be eligible, you must meet all of the following requirements:
Be a UK national, or hold settled status in the UK, and have been ordinarily resident in the UK, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man for three years immediately before the first day of the academic year in which your course begins.

Be aged 59 or under on the first day of the academic year of your course.

Not already hold a PhD or an equivalent doctoral qualification.

Not be in receipt of a Research Council studentship (including tuition‑fee‑only awards), NHS funding, or any other UK government funding towards your PhD.

Eligibility requirements may vary between funding bodies; students ordinarily resident in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland should check directly with the relevant authority (SAAS, SFW, or SFNI) to confirm their eligibility.
To be eligible for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan, your course must meet the following criteria:
Be a full, standalone doctoral programme (top‑up courses are not eligible)

Have started on or after 1 August 2018

Have a total duration of between 3 and 8 academic years

Be delivered by a UK university with research degree‑awarding powers

If your course is delivered by more than one institution, and one of these is based overseas, you may still be eligible provided that:

The UK university is the lead institution, and

You complete at least 50% of your total study time in the UK over the duration of the course

Courses may be undertaken:

Full‑time or part‑time

On a taught, research‑based, or combined basis

Examples of eligible postgraduate doctoral qualifications include (but are not limited to):

PhD / DPhil (Doctor of Philosophy)

EdD (Doctor of Education)

EngD (Doctor of Engineering)

Important: Course eligibility criteria and funding arrangements may differ for students funded by other UK bodies, such as Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS), Student Finance Wales (SFW), or Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI). Students are advised to check directly with their relevant funding authority to confirm course eligibility.
You will only start repaying your loan once your annual income exceeds £21,000.
Repayments will be due from the earliest of the following dates:

April following the date you complete or withdraw from your course, or

April following the fourth anniversary of your course start date, if your course lasts longer than four years

Once repayments begin:

Repayments are income‑contingent, meaning you only repay while your income remains above the threshold.

You will repay a percentage of your earnings above £21,000, not the full loan amount at once.

Repayments are usually collected automatically through the UK tax system (PAYE) if you are employed.

If you are self‑employed, repayments are made via self‑assessment.

If your income falls below the repayment threshold, repayments will stop automatically.

If you live or work outside the UK, you will still be required to make repayments and must notify the Student Loans Company to arrange an appropriate repayment schedule.

Please note: Repayment terms and thresholds may vary for loans issued by other UK funding bodies, such as SAAS, SFW, or SFNI, and students should always check the terms that apply to their specific loan.
The application process for the 2025/26 academic year is now open.
Students ordinarily resident in England can:

Find further information and apply online via the GOV.UK Doctoral Loan pages, which provide full guidance on eligibility, supporting evidence, and the application process

Applications to Student Finance England are completed online, and this is the quickest and most efficient way to apply.

Funding arrangements for doctoral study vary across the UK. Students ordinarily resident in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland should check eligibility and application procedures with the relevant funding body:

Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS)

Student Finance Wales (SFW)

Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI)

This webpage will be updated regularly as further information becomes available from Student Finance England, so please continue to check back for the latest updates.

If you have any queries, you can also contact us at pg.loans@durham.ac.uk.

Durham University makes every effort to ensure that the information published or contained on its website is accurate. However, the University cannot guarantee the information may not be altered owing to circumstances beyond the University’s reasonable control. Such circumstances include (but are not limited to) change in Government policy, or change of law. Any changes will be incorporated into the University’s website. Any person wishing to obtain confirmation of any particular item should contact the University via pg.loans@durham.ac.uk .