Research Councils

These are the most important sources of postgraduate funding. There are seven research councils which award grants:

• Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
• Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
• Medical Research Council (MRC)
• Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
• Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)

Visit the Prospects website for details of the grants available, and how to apply.

Charities, trusts and foundations

Some charities, trusts and foundations make partial funding awards for postgraduate study. You can find out more about charities and trusts at your local library. Useful publications include:

• The Educational Grants Directory
• The Grants Register
• The Directory of Grant Making Trusts
• The Charities Digest

You can search for funding from educational trusts on the Educational Grants Advisory Service (EGAS) website Family Action.

PGCE funding

Funding is available from the Teaching Agency if you meet the eligibility criteria. Different levels of funding are available according to what honours classification you were awarded in your degree and depending on the PGCE you wish to study, for example a student with a first in maths could receive a training bursary of £20,000 in 2013/14.

Funding covers the following subjects: Primary; English; ICT; Biology; Physics; Chemistry; Maths and Modern Languages.

Postgraduate Law funding

Financial assistance may be available to law students in the following stages of study:

• Common Professional Exams (CPE)
• Legal Practice Course (LPC)
• Training contract
• Bar Vocational Course (BVC)
• Pupillage

Information on the schemes available can be found on the Bar Council and Law Society websites.

Postgraduate Social Work funding

Students undertaking a postgraduate social work course may be eligible for the following funding through the NHS Business Services Authority:

Non-income assessed

• The basic grant
• Tuition fee support
• Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs)

Means-tested additional funding

• Maintenance Grant
• Adult Dependants Allowance
• Parents Learning Allowance
• Childcare Allowance towards the cost of registered or accredited childcare costs

For more information and to download an application form please see the NHS Business Services Authority website or contact the NHS funding general enquiries line - tel: 0845 358 6655.

Loans

There are different types of loans available to fund postgraduate study and it is worth exploring this option.

• Career development loans allow you to borrow between £300 and £10,000 to help you fund up to two years of learning. They are available from three high street banks and are repayable over a fixed period, at an agreed rate of interest. Details are available on the gov.uk Professional and Career Development Loans pages.
• Association of MBAs Loan Scheme is available to MBA students. See the Association of MBAs website for more details.
• Graduate Loans and Professional Studies Loans are available through high street banks. Applicants should discuss their needs with the bank and shop around for suitable loans.

Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)

Postgraduate students, undertaking either full or part-time recognised taught and research courses are now eligible to apply for DSA. The course must last for a minimum of one year full-time or, if taken part-time, must be the equivalent of 50% of a full-time equivalent course. For more information, and to download an application form, visit the gov.uk website.

Tax credits

There are two types of tax credits: Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit. You may be eligible for one or both. They are both income based but some types of postgraduate student income are ignored. For more information see the HMRC tax credits page.

Council tax

Registered full-time students do not have to pay council tax bill unless they live with a non-student. If you live with a non-student circumstances you will get a 25% discount.

To obtain a discount you will also need to obtain a document from the University iCentre after you have started your course. This proves that you are registered as a full-time student for council tax purposes.

For more information contact your local council tax department.

Help with health costs

You might be eligible for help with health costs such as prescriptions, glasses and dental treatment through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Each claim is assessed individually, depending on the financial circumstances of the applicant and being a student doesn't mean you are entitled to help with these costs.

To apply, use claim form HC1. You can obtain this from Student Services on which ever campus you are studying or from any benefits office, NHS hospital, dentist, doctor or optician or. You can also request an HC1 form and get more information on the Low Income Scheme from the National Health Business services Authority.

The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding 2012-13

Anglia Ruskin has subscribed to The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding 2012-13. Available to all Anglia Ruskin students currently studying, or interested in studying at postgraduate level. The Alternative Guide is about more unusual alternative sources of funding which make awards to current and prospective postgraduates. It contains links to over 300 alternative funding bodies.

The Alternative Guide is independently published by GradFunding.

View The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding - only accessible to Anglia Ruskin students, requires My.Anglia login.