You may be able to get a loan if your part-time course has a ‘course intensity’ of 25% or more.
‘Course intensity’ measures how much of your course you complete each year compared to an equivalent full-time course. You can work this out by comparing your module credits with the number of module credits a full-time student will study. You’ll be asked how many credits you’ll study when you apply for the loan. Check with the university if you’re not sure.
What you can apply for depends on what year your course started.
If your part-time course started on or after 1 August 2018, you can apply for a Maintenance Loan as well as a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £6,935 per academic year. The Maintenance Loan is means-tested, so how much you get depends on your household income as well as where you live while studying. The amount of Maintenance Loan part-time students receive is also dependent on course intensity, which much be at least 25%.
If your course started before 1st August 2018 you can apply for a non means-tested Tuition Fee loan only.
For more information on the financial support available for part-time students, please see the Student Finance England web page.
Distance Learning courses are classed as part time for funding purposes. If you are studying by part time Distance Learning, you will be eligible for a Tuition Fee loan only. The one exception to rule is if you cannot attend your course in person because of a disability. If you are studying by Distance Learning because of a disability and can provide evidence of this, you will be eligible to apply for the part time Maintenance Loan. For more information on the Maintenance Loan for part-time students, please see the Student Finance England web page.
UK Regional student funding providers will also fund part-time study, though the funding packages available differ from that outlined above. Please contact the regional funding provider directly for more information. Please Note: Students resident in Northern Ireland studying a flexible PGCE have previously been assessed for Student Finance Northern Ireland’s full-time funding package. Prospective students applying for funding for a course of this type should contact their regional funding provider directly.
A UK Government loan for taught postgraduate programmes, e.g. Masters level courses is available. The Postgraduate Master's Loan is available to eligible postgraduate Master's students studying towards their first such qualification on either a part-time or full-time basis. For part-time students, the course can last between two and four years. It must be no more than twice the length of the equivalent full-time course. The maximum Postgraduate Master's Loan available is £12,167, if your course starts on or after 1 August 2023. This loan is not means-tested. Full details are available at: gov.uk/masters-loan
Prospective postgraduate students who are ordinarily resident in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland should contact their regional funding provider directly.
The UK Government's Postgraduate Doctoral Loan is available to eligible students to help with fees and living costs. Students can study on either a full-time or part-time basis. Full details are available at: gov.uk/doctoral-loan
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