Postgraduate Fees and Finance

What's My Fee Status?

The tuition fee that you pay will differ according to your fee status.  Your fee status is dependent upon where you come from, where you have lived for the three years immediately before the start of your course, which course you study, where you study, your mode of study and even your immigration status if applicable. 

UK / EU Fee Status

If you are a UK citizen who has lived in the UK for three years before the beginning of your course you should be eligible for UK fee status. If you are from an EU country (outside the UK) or you are an EEA or Swiss migrant worker or you are the child of a Turkish migrant worker you should be eligible for UK / EU fee status.

International Fee Status

If you are from outside the EU and none of the above applies to you, you will be eligible for International fee status.  NB This fee status can apply to UK passport holders who are living abroad, although some exceptions apply.  If you are not sure about your fee status, please contact feestatus@bathspa.ac.uk for guidance.

Postgraduate Funding

There is no statutory funding such as student loans for post graduate students unless you are undertaking a PGCE course. However, there are a number of sources where postgraduate students can apply for funding.

For information on financial assistance to support your learning, please visit www.gov.uk/grant-bursary-adult-learners or contact 0800 100 900.

Scholarships Available

Bursaries From External Organisations

Various postgraduate organisations offer partial bursaries to contribute to Master’s and PhD funding. Visit the following websites for further details:

Trusts and Charities

There are a number of educational charities and trusts to which postgraduate students can apply to for grants. Often, financial help is reserved for students from lower income household, or for those who’ve achieved academic excellence.

The Bath Spa University Student Support Service is able to give you advice and support with your application. Email studentsupport@bathspa.ac.uk

Professional and Career Development Loan

Professional and Career Development Loans are bank loans that can be used to help pay for work related learning. You can borrow between £300 and £10,000 to help support the cost of up to two years of learning (or three years if it includes one year’s relevant unpaid practical work). The Young People’s Learning Agency will pay the interest on the loan while you are learning and for one month afterwards. The loan can be used to pay course fees or other costs such as travel and living expenses. You can also use the loan to supplement other forms of support such as grants or bursaries. Because the Professional and Career Development Loan is a commercial loan product, they should only be considered as an option once all other student funding options have been investigated.  For further information on financial assistance to support your learning, please visit www.gov.uk/grant-bursary-adult-learners or contact Careers Advice on 0800 100 900.  Our learning provider registration number is: 8216

Learners should call 0800 585 505 to order application packs or visit PCDL for more information.

Graduate Loan

  • Most high street banks offer graduate loans.
  • Interest is charged and rates vary.

Access to Learning Fund (ALF)

The ALF is a descretionary fund of Government money administered by Student Support and students can apply to the ALF for additional financial support if they are experiencing financial hardship.

  • For full time postgraduate students it is expected that they will have a certain level of income;
  • This is called notional postgraduate income (NPI) and it is set at £165 per week for single students and £133 for students with dependants;
  • ALF cannot provide assistance with core living costs - these should be met by the student via the NPI;
  • ALF cannot be used to meet the cost of tuition fees;
  • Applications to ALF can be considered for expenditure over and above core living costs;
  • For further information on making an ALF application, please follow this link

Sponsorship by Employers

Employers may fund vocational and professional postgraduate training as part of career development. Information on company sponsorship opportunities is usually available through your HR department.

The National Scholarship Fund for Teachers

The national scholarship fund is open to all teachers in England with qualified teacher status (QTS), currently employed in eligible schools. The scholarship focuses on four main priority areas; maths, English, science and special educational needs (SEN). Those taking awards within the Professional Master’s Programme may be eligible to apply for a scholarship. Visit the Teaching Agency website for more information.