You may have spotted a change coming to UK postgraduate funding next year.
It’s happening in Wales but it shines a light on an ongoing problem for UK HE overall.
England introduced a master’s loan in 2016. It’s paid to the student to help cover fees and/or living costs, but bears no relation to either and has been eroded by inflation in both.
Scotland introduced a master’s loan in 2017 (also covers PGDip). It includes a payment to the university for fees and a payment to the student for living costs. Both are arbitrary and easily leave a shortfall.
Northern Ireland introduced a master’s loan in 2017 (also covers PGCert & PGDip). It’s paid to the university for fees and necessarily leaves a shortfall for maintenance (if not fees too).
Wales introduced a combined master’s loan and grant in 2017 (along with various supplementary funding). It was comfortably the most generous scheme and also the fairest, being the only one with a means-tested component.
But, from 2024-25, the Welsh scheme will revert to a standard loan, presumably at the same value but no longer with any means-tested grant. Students who need most support will get less support.
