Funding for a PhD
In the UK, a PhD can be a funded or self-funded programme.
Funding types
There are three main types of funding arrangements for PhDs:
- Fully-funded students have a full studentship. This usually covers their PhD fees, living costs and other expenses.
- Partially-funded students receive a partial scholarship or studentship. This usually contributes to fees or living costs, but not both. They usually need to top up their funding with other grants or rely on their own savings or earnings.
- Self-funded students don't receive any funding. They pay for a PhD themselves using a combination of student loans, savings, or earnings.
Your situation may change during your PhD. It's possible to begin as a self-funded student and win funding later.
The financial cost of a PhD
There won’t usually be an application fee for PhDs but there are tuition fees.
PhD fees in the UK range from £4,500 to £35,000 per year depending on your nationality. UK students pay an average of £4,500 per year in PhD fees.
International students pay a lot more. International PhD fees in the UK can be as high as £20,000-£35,000 per year.
You’ll also need to factor in living costs, though there are funding routes you can apply for to help with this.
Although A PhD can be expensive, it can give you educational, career and personal benefits. It's worth weighing up whether these benefits are worth the financial commitment.
We can talk to you about whether this is the right option for you.
The admissions office for your PhD should be able to tell you if there are any studentships available. Studentships vary between institutions and departments. They sometimes offer a maintenance grant and/or payment of tuition fees.
Studentships are usually offered for very specific research projects at both PhD and Master's level. Studentships at Newcastle are advertised on the individual school or institute's pages.
Ask the admissions office if there are research assistantships available within the department. These are salaried positions within the department. The work could be registered for a higher degree, or you could be given time to pursue your studies.
Conditions and salary vary, so find out exactly what your duties will involve.
More information
• FindAPhD - details of studentships
• jobs.ac.uk - PhD studentship information
If you are eligible, you could get student finance in the form of a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan. This can help with course fees and living costs. It doesn’t usually cover the full cost of a PhD.
You can apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan in any year of your course. But if you apply after your first year, you might not get the full amount.
The amount you’ll get is not based on you or your family’s income. The loan is paid directly to you.
More information
You can apply for grants from charities and trusts. Some PhD candidates begin by applying to charities and trusts that have an interest in their area of research. This could include medical research or education for example.
Often the funding is in smaller amounts, but you can apply to more than one charity or grant making trust at a time.
Find a PhD has a guide on funding a PhD through charity and trust funding.
You can find details of charities and grant making trusts in the following publications from the Robinson Library:
Part time study and work
Some PhD students complete a part time PhD and part time work at the same time. Some universities offer part time teaching positions which you can do alongside your research.
Business and industry funding
You could gain funding from a company who has an interest in your research. Current employees may be funded to pursue research that supports the commercial objectives of the company.
Bank loans
Some banks offer postgraduate or professional study loans. Each individual bank will have their own terms and conditions so it is worth comparing options before committing to one lender.