2026 Postgraduate Loans in Northern Ireland - A Guide

A Northern Irish postgraduate tuition fee loan lets you borrow up to £6,500 towards the cost of your UK Masters degree, Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma. The loan is provided by Student Finance Northern Ireland on behalf of the Student Loans Company. You only repay it once you finish your course and earn over £24,990 a year.

Thinking about doing a postgraduate course in Northern Ireland but not sure how to pay for it? You're in the right place. I'm here to help you understand all about postgraduate loans here. We'll look at how much money you can get, who can get it, which courses count, how to apply, and how paying back works. Let's get into it and make sure you have everything you need to chase your postgraduate dreams without worrying about the cash.

You can borrow up to £6,500 with a Northern Irish postgraduate loan, this will be increasing to £10,000 in the 2026-27 academic year. You can request less than this if you like, but you can’t borrow more than the fees for your course. If your course costs more than £6,500 you will have to make up the difference using income, savings or other postgraduate funding.

The total available loan amount will be spread evenly across your course (for up to three years of study). You can’t borrow less in one year and carry the remaining money over to subsequent years.

Each year’s loan will be paid in three instalments of 25%, 25% and 50%. This means the maximum individual payments for your loan will be as follows:

You’ll need to make a new application for your loan each year, stating how much you want to borrow. You can request less than the total for any given year, but you can’t carry over any ‘unused’ loan.

Whatever you request, Student Finance NI will pay the loan directly to your university for tuition fees (not to your bank account). There is no additional postgraduate maintenance or living-cost loan.

The loan isn’t means-tested or based on your credit history. You can borrow the same amount regardless of your financial circumstances.

We've answered a selection of FAQs about Student Finance NI's postgraduate loans below.

UK and ROI students need to have lived in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for the past three years and be ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland (this means that Northern Ireland is where you normally live when you aren’t at university and you haven’t moved there just to study).

There are no age restrictions for Northern Irish postgraduate loans. You can also apply for up to one loan even if you already have a postgraduate qualification. (However, you can’t have previously had any UK postgraduate loan).

You may also be able to apply for a loan as an international student if one of the following applies:

• You have EU-settled status in the UK
• You are the child of a Turkish worker
• You have been granted the right to live in the UK as a refugee or person with humanitarian protection

UK students who aren’t ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland should apply for a different UK postgraduate loan.

Brexit and Northern Irish postgraduate loans

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals will no longer be eligible for student finance unless they have EU-settled status in the UK and have lived in the UK or EEA for the past three years. Republic of Ireland nationals continue to be eligible for student finance under the Common Travel Area.

Below you can find the answers to several common questions about eligibility for a Northern Irish postgraduate loan.

Northern Irish postgraduate loans are available for taught and research Masters degrees as well as shorter Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) and Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) courses in any subject. You can also get a loan to top up an existing PGCert or PGDip to a higher-level qualification.

UK-resident students can use a Northern Irish postgraduate loan to study at any UK university.

You can study for up to three years on a full-time, part-time or distance learning basis (provided you are living in the UK whilst studying).

Loans aren’t available for a PGCE (or other postgraduate teacher training course), courses eligible for other student finance in Northern Ireland.

Separate PhD loans in Northern Ireland have been considered, but aren't confirmed yet. Our newsletter will let you know if this changes.

These are the answers to some frequently asked questions about course eligibility.

You can apply for your postgraduate tuition fee loan online at the Student Finance NI website (use your existing login account, if you have one). Alternatively, you can download an application form to apply by post.

When you first apply you’ll need to provide proof of identity, details for the course you wish to study and information on your residency and address history.

Student Finance NI will review your application and notify you if any further information is required. Once your application has been approved, the Student Loans Company will write to confirm your loan entitlement and payment schedule.

The deadline for applications is nine months from the start of your course. So, if your course started in September 2024, you’ll have until 31 May 2025 to apply for your loan. However, you should apply as soon as possible in order to make sure your loan is ready for the beginning of your course.

You’ll need to reapply for your loan in the second and / or third years of your course (if your programme lasts longer than a year). This is to confirm your loan request for that year and won’t require as much information.

You can find more details and advice in our postgraduate loan application guide.

Here are the answers to frequently asked questions about applying for a postgraduate loan in Northern Ireland.

You’ll be liable to start repaying your postgraduate loan from 6 April in the year after you graduate.

The amount you actually repay is income-contingent: you’ll only repay 9% of what you earn over £24,990 a year.

The repayment process depends on where and how you work:

• If you are employed in the UK, HMRC will take repayments on behalf of the Student Loans Company, at the same time as your income tax and national insurance
• If you are self-employed in the UK, HMRC will take repayments as part of your annual tax return
• If you are working outside the UK, you will need to contact the Student Loans Company and arrange a repayment process with them
• If you are unemployed, you won’t make any repayments

Your postgraduate loan repayments will be combined with those for your Northern Irish undergraduate student loan (if you have one). This means you’ll make one smaller repayment, instead of experiencing two separate deductions from your salary.

Interest will be charged from the date of your first loan payment, at a rate linked to inflation. This is currently 1.5%.

Any unpaid loan balance (including interest) will be cancelled after 25 years (from the date you became liable to make repayments).

Here are the answers to frequently asked questions about repayments for Northern Irish postgraduate loans.

1. Apply early: Don’t wait until the last minute to apply. The sooner you get your application in, the better. This way, you'll avoid any potential delays and ensure your funding is sorted before your course begins.

2. Read the fine print: Understand the terms of the loan, including repayment conditions and interest rates. Knowing these details upfront will help you manage your loan responsibly.

3. Budget wisely: Once you know how much loan you're eligible for, create a budget. Consider your tuition fees, living expenses, and any other costs associated with your studies to ensure the loan covers your needs.

Got a question about the Northern Irish postgraduate loans and can’t find the answer in our guide?

We’re always updating this page, based on information from the Student Loans Company and the questions students ask us at our study fairs. So there’s a good chance we’ve answered your question.

If we haven’t, get in touch with us by emailing editor[at]findamasters.com: we’ll do our best to answer your question (and add the information here).