Postgraduate Study 2018: UK/EU students

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Newcastle University
Postgraduate Study 2018
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 course in 2018–19,
you may be eligible to apply for a
government-backed postgraduate
loan. A PhD loan scheme for UK
nationals ordinarily resident in
England will also likely be awarded
for 2018 entry.
At the time of going to print (August
2017), full details of the loan
schemes are yet to be finalised
but updates will be provided online
at
funding
Don’t forget
living costs
Alongside your tuition fees (see
individual course fees on pages 66–
95) for 2018–19, you will also need
to allow around £11,000–£12,000
(UK), £11,500–£12,500 (non-UK EU)
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 postgraduate study fair.
Presentations on searching
and applying for funding are
normally a key part of the event
schedule
• talk to current students on your
prospective course 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
• your 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
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
• fee instalment plans
• UK Research Councils
and doctoral training centre
funding
• alumni and charity awards
Search the database:
postgraduate/funding
25 24
20%
tuition fee discount
for Newcastle graduates
funding/alumni
5
in the UK for
living costs
(out of 42 participating institutions)
International Student
Barometer survey
Autumn 2016
th