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Newcastle University

Postgraduate Study 2017

www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate

Supporting you

Searching

and applying

for funding

Make use of

different funding

sources

There is currently no one single

source of funding. Most people

fund their studies through a

combination of:

formal funding sources such

as scholarships/studentships/

bursaries/academic awards/

tuition fee discounts

part-time work

personal savings

bank/student loan

smaller pots of funding from

charities, foundations and trusts

This combination of funding is often

referred to as ‘portfolio funding’ and

requires quite a lot of independent

research. You will need to be prepared

to bookmark and review useful

funding websites on a regular basis.

Student loans

If you’re a UK or EU student

applying for a Master’s level course

in 2016–17, you may be eligible

to apply for the new government-

backed Postgraduate Master’s Loan

scheme. The scheme enables you

to borrow up to £10,000 to help

fund the cost of your course. More

information is available at: www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/ funding/sources/ukeustudents/ mastersloan.html

Don’t forget

living costs

Alongside your tuition fees (see individual course fees on pages 74–103), you will also need to allow around £10,500–£12,000 (2017–18) a year to cover living costs. This

includes accommodation and

utility bills, food, clothing, transport,

entertainment and insurance.

While these figures are based on

an average 12-month spend, the

total amount will vary per person

and will depend on your lifestyle.

Ask for advice

Don’t be shy when it comes to

money matters. There are lots of

ways to get additional information

about the latest opportunities:

make an appointment with

your university finance team

speak to your academic tutor

attend a university open day

or external postgraduate study

fair. Presentations on searching

and applying for funding are

normally a key part of the event

schedule

talk to current students about

how they have funded their

studies

Begin your

search early

Funding is highly competitive, so

it’s important that you begin your

search early. While funding is

available throughout the year, the

majority of funding opportunities are

advertised between September and

May. It’s worth starting your search

more than 12 months before your

intended year of entry in order to

identify relevant websites and

potential funding schemes, but

these schemes can vary on an

annual basis.

Give yourself

enough time

Applying for funding can be time

consuming, so don’t leave your

application to the last minute.

Many funding opportunities

(particularly taught courses) will

also require you to have had a

formal offer of a place on an eligible

course before you apply, so you will

need to take this into consideration

when approaching your search.

Check the criteria

Criteria will differ widely depending

on the funding source, but these will

usually be outlined in the funding

advert. As funding is competitive,

you will probably need a minimum

of an upper-second class or first-class

Honours degree (or international

equivalent) and a strong application

to be successful.

Ensure that you put forward your

case as strongly as possible and

tailor your responses to the criteria

accordingly.

Topics you may need to cover in

your application include:

your academic achievements

your work/research experience

proposed research project

(for research degree applications)

what you plan to do after

completing your postgraduate

course

why you should be considered

for funding

how you will pay for any remaining

tuition fees/living costs not

covered by the funding award

FUNDING

@Newcastle

Whether you are a UK, EU or

non-EU international student

we aim to make the search for

funding at Newcastle as easy

as possible.

We advertise most of our funding

opportunities on our online

searchable funding database.

The database is easy to use

and

new opportunities are

advertised on a weekly basis

,

so it’s important to bookmark

the site and check regularly.

Funding opportunities

at Newcastle include:

a range of tuition

fee discounts

scholarships, studentships

and bursaries for UK, EU

and international students

fee instalment plans

UK Research Councils

and doctoral training centre

funding

alumni and charity awards

Search the database: www.ncl.ac.uk/ postgraduate/funding

25

24

20%

tuition fee discount

for Newcastle graduates

www.ncl.ac.uk/ funding/alumni

3rd

most affordable UK

city for students*

*Royal Bank of Scotland

Student Living Index 2016