Postgraduate Doctoral Loans: Launch of Government Consultation

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Postgraduate Doctoral Loans: Launch of Government Consultation 

The Government has published a technical consultation seeking external views on a postgraduate doctoral loan product. This new product will offer eligible applicants up to £25,000 as a contribution to the cost of their studies. The loan will be repaid on an income contingent basis, and is currently aimed for launch in the academic year 2018/19.

The key terms of the proposed loan are:

  • Eligible individuals would be able to borrow up to £25,000.
  • The loan is intended as a contribution to the cost of study, rather than to specifically cover tuition fees or living costs.
  • The loan would be available to individuals studying any Level 8 doctoral qualification. 
  • The loan would be available to eligible students who are not in receipt of a Research Council studentship (including fees only awards).
  • Eligible students ordinarily resident in England would be able to take their loan to any UK university offering a doctoral programme. Higher Education provision is a devolved matter for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; therefore individuals who ordinarily reside in those countries would not be eligible for the loan.
  • The maximum length of study would be six years. 
  • Repayment of the doctoral loan would be income contingent and in line with the repayment threshold of the undergraduate and master’s loans, currently set at £21,000.

You can find the link to the document here.

The technical consultation will last 6 weeks, closing on 16 December 2016, and will ask several questions about the doctoral loan product, including student and course eligibility.

The Government is extremely interested in hearing your views on the consultation, as well as the views of past, current and future doctoral students; we would be very grateful for your help in reaching these groups, using your existing networks.

The Government will respond to the consultation in due course.