Financial assistance for postgraduates
The University of St Andrews offers many postgraduate scholarships each year. There are also resources available to postgraduates seeking funding, including options outside the University. However, please be aware that the offer of a University place does not carry with it a guarantee of financial support.
The University also aims to provide financial advice and assistance to postgraduate students who are struggling with money worries.
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The University of St Andrews offers postgraduate scholarships and other financial awards. These may be held in addition to external funding or awards from a government body. These may also cover (fully or partially) tuition fees, maintenance (living costs including accommodation) or both.
Scholarships are available based on academic merit and financial need. There are scholarships available for both home and overseas fee status. The scholarships team recommends reading the terms of each award carefully and applying to a range of funding sources.
Applicants with refugee status, humanitarian protection, discretionary leave and asylum seeker status can apply for scholarships. The correct tuition fee status will determine which scholarships are available to you. If you have any queries about your fee status, please contact the fees team (fees@st-andrews.ac.uk) for more advice.
Companies, foundations and other external bodies also provide financial help to students studying at home or overseas. Applicants who are resident overseas can usually get information on scholarships from their local government, Ministry of Education, an appropriate inter-university organisation, or from the British Council.
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The Research Councils are public bodies charged with investing UK taxpayers’ money in science and research. Each is responsible for its own range of subjects and has different procedures and regulations.
Most Research Council awards are for research rather than taught (Masters) courses, although postgraduate taught funding may be available in some cases. Please visit the UK Research Councils web pages for further details.
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There may be postgraduate loans available to you depending on your nationality and country of residence. Full details about this type of funding can be found on the postgraduate loans page.
Examples of other countries and territories with government bodies offering postgraduate funding include:
- USA: US federal loans
- Canada: NSERC postgraduate scholarships
US Department of Veterans Affairs - GI Bill®
The University of St Andrews is approved to process US Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits. Intended programmes of study must also be approved. You can check with the US Department of Veterans Affairs or with the University if your programme has already been approved. The University can seek approval for new programmes, but this can only be done once you have received an offer.
You should inform the University at the beginning of each academic year that funding is required, providing your VA file and Social Security numbers. The University will send the relevant form to the Department of Veterans Affairs which will trigger the release of payments.
As a foreign school, there is a maximum amount that the VA will provide in funding, however, the University is not made aware of the exact amount that will be paid until confirmation of payment is received.
In order to check personal eligibility for VA benefits visit the Department of Veteran Affairs website. You can find out more about the criteria for benefits through the GI Bill® in our scholarships catalogue.
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Various foundations and other bodies offer financial assistance to postgraduate students, and these may be located through various means:
- Student Services hold limited information on outside trusts available to current and prospective students, which you may find useful.
- If you are a current St Andrews student, you may wish to browse the following University web pages:
- The Careers Centre funding web page offers details about postgraduate funding as well as links to searchable online databases.
- Postgraduate Money Matters.
- A guide for students seeking postgraduate funding is also available on the Prospects website.
- Scholarships and funding advice and information can be found on the FindAMasters and FindAPhD websites.
- If you are an overseas (non-EU) applicant, you can usually get information on scholarships from the Ministry of Education in your home country, from the appropriate inter-university organisation, if there is one, or from the British Council. Funding advice and a scholarship search is also available on the Education UK website.
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If you are experiencing or anticipate financial difficulties, you may wish to email Student Services at money.advice@st-andrews.ac.uk. They provide financial advice and support to students, including limited financial assistance.
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There are some research-related travel funding options that may be available depending on your subject area.
Always first check with the postgraduate secretary for your academic School to find out whether the department offers any such funding of its own, or can recommend any external trusts or funds that could be available to you. You could also consider the following options:
The Fieldwork Bursary Fund assists with costs directly connected with research carried out in the field by registered, full-time postgraduate research students. Fieldwork must be approved using the University’s Travel registration and fieldwork risk assessment tool before starting the bursary application. Students will be provided with a link to apply to the fieldwork bursary within 5 days of having their fieldwork approved.
If you are a research student, you may be eligible for the Russell Trust Awards, which provide funding for current PhD students.
Some outside trusts also offer funding for this purpose.
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If you are eligible to work in the UK, you may be seeking job opportunities to support your study.
There are normally various opportunities available within the University, ranging from clerical and hospitality jobs to tutoring and research projects. You can use the online vacancies system to find out about both permanent and casual work.
Some academic Schools offer paid tutoring positions to research students, usually in their second year. Please contact your academic School for further information.
The Careers Centre also provides information for students looking for other jobs in the St Andrews area.