Study at Keele

Postgraduate Research

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Postgraduate Funding

Research Council Funding
Access to Learning Fund
Charities
Studentships
Disability Allowances
Other means of support

It is your responsibility to ensure you have sufficient funds to pay your annual tuition fees and cover living expenses.

There are sources of funding support for PhD students, but they are highly competitive. If you wish to pursue these you need to make sure you start your search for funding early, understand the options available to you, and learn the relevant procedures and closing dates.

More detailed information on funding opportunities for postgraduate students can be obtained from the Student Funding Office.

Student Funding Office

Tel: (+44) 01782 734240 / 733996 / 734087

Email: bursaries@keele.ac.uk

Research council funding

There are seven research councils that offer financial support to postgraduate students. The majority of the awards made by these councils are to students undertaking research degrees.

Competition for research council funding is fierce, as the awards made provide cover for both fees and maintenance (though applicants from EU countries other than the UK are only eligible to apply for assistance with fees). For more information about the research councils and the awards available, visit the website.

The Access to Learning Fund

The Access to Learning Fund (ALF) is a non-repayable discretionary fund that is provided by the Government in order to assist students that are experiencing financial difficulty.

Charities

Some charities, trusts and foundations offer funds to students who are undertaking particular routes of study and research. A list of organisations offering funding can be found in The Grants Register, published annually by Palgrave MacMillan.

Studentships

Some RIs have studentship schemes, which they are able to offer to prospective students. Some of these may be from Research Councils or from industry.

Visit this link in order to find out what opportunities are available to support your studies.

Disability Allowances

UK or EU students with disabilities may be eligible to receive a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). Our Disability Services Co-ordinator Jane Higgins will be able to advise and assist you.

Learn more: Telephone: 01782 734105, website.

Other means of support

In addition to loans, awards and scholarships, there are a number of other options that can be explored in order to fund postgraduate studies.

There are a number of organisations which sponsor students to study for a research degree. Some will make allocations to the University (and where Keele has such studentships to award they will be listed on the website). Others will require applications to the sponsor, either directly or via the University.

The principal sources of such funding are listed here with a web link to enable you to access further information. Other useful web sites which give a guide to funding postgraduate study are as follows: