Financing your studies
Postgraduate study is an investment in your intellectual development and career potential. When considering further study you should thoroughly investigate the many ways in which you can finance your studies as the level of support can vary dramatically from subject to subject and indeed, year to year.
Unlike awards for undergraduate degrees, those for postgraduate study are usually awarded on a competitive basis. Types of awards vary according to whether you are classed as Home or Overseas for fee purposes. Further information for Postgraduate students can be found on the tuition fee pages.
University studentships
Some Academic Schools offer a number of full or partial University studentships, made possible through donated funds, University and/or Research Council funding. Some Schools also offer funding for masters courses.
Check with your Academic School or prospective supervisor to see whether there are any internal studentships or other awards available. Any School that has funding to offer will usually advertise this on their own webpages, so please visit the list of School funding webpages on this website to find the page for your Academic School or department.
Local Government Funding
As part of any funding search, you should always check your own government’s Education Department to see whether they offer or promote any funding schemes for postgraduate study in the UK. Examples of such schemes include Federal Stafford Loans for US students (see below), Spanish government loans for masters courses and China Scholarship Council fee waivers.
The webpages for your country on the British Council website are usually a good place to start when looking for this type of funding.
Recent Graduate Discount
Applicants who have graduated from St Andrews during the last three years may be eligible for a 10% discount on tuition fees, subject to award conditions. Further details can be found on the Recent Graduate Discount webpage.
UK and European Union students
Research Council Awards
Several public bodies provide awards for postgraduate study. Application for all Research Council awards should be made through the relevant School or Department. Each is responsible for its own range of subjects and has different procedures and regulations.
Postgraduate Students' Allowances Scheme (PSAS)
The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) offers tuition fee support for certain full-time vocational courses at the University, usually for Scottish and non-UK EU students. See the PSAS webpage for further details.
Other UK / EU awards
A range of other awards for UK / EU applicants is available, including external awards. Application details for each award can be found on the above webpage and any links provided. Awards listed include:
- Carnegie Trust awards
- British Federation of Women Graduates
- Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust
- Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Science Research Fellowships
International students
Federal loans for US students
If you are a US citizen you may be eligible for financial support from your government in the form of a federal loan, which you should apply for prior to each year of study. For more information please visit the Loans for US students web pages.
Other overseas awards
A range of other awards for overseas applicants is available, for both research and taught courses, some of which are co-funded by or affiliated with St Andrews. Many of these awards include geographical and/or subject criteria. Application details for each award can be found on the Scholarships for International Students web page. These include:
Taught/Masters
- Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme
- OSI Scholarship
- Ransome Trust Scholarship
Research/PhD
- British Marshall Scholarships
- Commonwealth Scholarships
- US-UK Fulbright Commission
