Make the career decision with the funding and constraints visible.

UKRI-funded postgraduate research

UKRI does not normally take studentship applications directly from students. You apply to the university, research organisation or doctoral training provider holding the funding.

Minimum stipend, 2026–27

£21,805

London-weighted minimum, where applicable

£23,805

UKRI fee level

£5,238

Studentships can also provide research-training support, placements, fieldwork and disability-related support depending on the council and award. The London weighting is not universal: EPSRC does not offer it. International recruitment limits and any fee gap are award-specific rather than a single UKRI-wide promise to every applicant.

Postgraduate Student Finance in England

For eligible courses starting on or after 1 August 2026, the maximum Postgraduate Master’s Loan is £13,206 and the maximum Postgraduate Doctoral Loan is £31,122. These are loans towards course and living costs, not UKRI stipends.

Eligibility depends on the course and personal/residency circumstances. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland operate different systems. So when you add this to CareerCaptain, record which funding regime actually applies to you, rather than assuming it from where you study.

Bursaries, grants, DSA and scholarships

Not all support is a loan. Depending on circumstances and course, students may have access to other funding. This includes university bursaries or hardship funds, Disabled Students’ Allowance, NHS or social-work support, teacher-training funding and other grants. For eligible undergraduate and postgraduate students in England, the standard 2026–27 DSA maximum is £27,783 a year and is needs-based rather than household-income-tested.

UKRI-funded postgraduate researchers are different: UKRI states that students funded through its training grants are not eligible for the national Disabled Students’ Allowance schemes. Disability-related support is instead handled through the UKRI/provider framework, so the correct route depends on how the research is funded.

International postgraduate applicants may also have separate scholarship routes such as Chevening, Commonwealth or Marshall schemes, each with its own nationality, course and eligibility rules. From 1 January 2027, England’s Lifelong Learning Entitlement becomes the student-finance route for most level 4–6 study and some level 7 courses. That means the funding model itself needs to be treated as date-sensitive.

International students: immigration status can materially shape career options

Student-route work conditions vary by course, sponsor and study status. A student on a full-time degree-level course at an eligible higher-education provider will commonly be limited to 20 hours a week during term time, with full-time work permitted in vacations; other students can have tighter restrictions. Student permission normally prevents access to public funds and self-employment.

The Graduate visa is also changing: applications made on or before 31 December 2026 receive two years for non-doctoral graduates; applications from 1 January 2027 receive 18 months. Doctoral graduates continue to receive three years. Some sensitive postgraduate research can additionally require ATAS clearance.

Erasmus+ returns from 2027; Turing covers 2026–27

The UK and EU have agreed UK association to Erasmus+ from the 2027 programme year. UK organisations can apply in the 2027 funding round; individual students generally access opportunities through participating institutions rather than applying directly to the programme.

The Turing Scheme continues for the 2026–27 academic year with funding of up to £78 million, but will not operate in 2027–28. Providers planning mobility therefore need to manage the transition rather than treating Turing and Erasmus+ as interchangeable schemes.