External funding opportunities
Each year, there are a range of additional scholarships, loans and bursaries offered by external organisations that are available to those pursuing postgraduate study. Funding opportunities available for entry in 2024/25 are set out below.
Postgrad Solutions bursaries
Postgrad Solutions are offering 5 bursaries of £2,000 each for students pursuing postgraduate taught and research programmes in any subject and across all study modes.
LLM Study bursaries
Master of Law students can apply for annual global bursaries worth £2,000 each.
Other funding options
Career Development Loans
We are a Professional and Career Development Loans registered Learning Provider, registration number 10118. A Professional and Career Development Loan is a commercial bank loan that you can use to help pay for work-related learning.
For further information please visit the GOV.UK website or contact the National Careers Service on 0800 100 900.
Student loans for health profession courses
English students on postgraduate pre-registration nursing and allied health profession courses are able to access the standard student loans available to undergraduate students. Students who have already taken out a student loan are still able to access another loan to study these courses. This is not the standard postgraduate student loan but the same loan as that accessed by undergraduate students to cover tuition fees and support living costs.
Other funding arrangements are in line with undergraduate pre-registration healthcare courses, including eligibility for the student maintenance grant for healthcare courses.
Eligible courses: MSc Dietetics; MSc Nursing (Adult, Child, Mental Health and Learning Disability); MSc Physiotherapy; and MSc Speech and Language Therapy
PGCE students
There are three types of funding available for PGCEs - depending on your circumstances, you could receive all three:
- Tax-free bursary or scholarship
- Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan
- Additional financial support if you’re a parent or have a disability
In addition, some subject associations offer scholarships for the most gifted trainees in their subject area.
Bursaries are reviewed each year, and the courses included and amount of money available can vary.
NHS Social Work Bursary
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Department for Education (DfE) allocate a fixed number of undergraduate and postgraduate social work bursaries to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) delivering qualifying social work programmes.
As the number of students commencing social work programmes can exceed the number of bursaries available, there is no guarantee that all students will receive a bursary. To determine which students are on the ‘capping list’, and therefore (subject to their meeting the NHS Bursary criteria) entitled to a bursary, the University prioritises applicants based on a ranking during the admissions process. This ranking is based on the overall score achieved by applicants during an admissions event.
The availability of NHS bursaries is reviewed regularly by the Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care.
NHS Learning Support Fund for Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery
The NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) package gives students funding of £5,000 a year for maintenance and associated study costs.
Further additional is available to those who meet certain eligibility criteria:
- £2,000 for childcare costs
- £1,000 for students on particular courses that are currently struggling to recruit
- Reimbursement of additional travel costs when attending a practice placement
Eligible courses: MSc Dietetics; MSc Nursing (Adult and Mental Health); MSc Physiotherapy; MSc Therapeutic Radiography; and MSc Speech and Language Therapy
Trusts and charities
Students can apply to external trusts and charities to raise funds in an effort to fund postgraduate study.
BCU's Graduate Scholarship
You could be eligible for a 20% fee reduction available to all BCU graduates enrolling onto an eligible Master's or PhD qualification, whether you’re continuing your studies or returning to BCU.
Find out more