November 12, 2013, by Jemma Utley

Funding for postgraduate study doesn’t happen by magic

By Marta Vizcaya Echano, International e-Information Officer

Are you thinking about doing a masters or a PhD starting autumn 2014? While you’re researching your options don’t forget to consider your funding options at the same time, in order to make sure your tuition fees, living costs and other expenses are paid for.

Funding schemes are limited and competitive, particularly for masters programmes: thorough research will ensure you do not miss any deadlines and produce a strong application.

Sources of academic funding

Use the Graduate School’s funding section as a starting point. It offers information on schemes offered by the University, as well as by other institutions in the UK and abroad. If you are looking to study elsewhere, find out about the scholarships, grants and bursaries offered by the universities you want to apply to. There are also school-specific bursaries and grants and your potential supervisor will know about these options so have a chat with them.

If you are planning to study abroad, it is advisable to research organisations offering funding at home as well as in your target country. The Grants Register: The Complete Guide to Postgraduate Funding Worldwide can help you to get started: it covers more than 4,500 awards around the world and is available for reference only from our office in the Portland Building.

Alternative sources of funding

It is also worth considering funding by non-academic and charitable organisations. These awards are unlikely to cover the full costs of your course and living expenses, but you can apply to several funding bodies at the same time.

The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding contains details of more than 600 funding bodies that can contribute towards the costs of postgraduate study, research and travel – regardless of course or nationality. The guide offers step-by-step advice on how to apply and maximise your chances of success. We subscribe to this online resource so you can access it free!

Part-time work

Part-time work may be a good way to get extra money towards living costs while at Nottingham so register with Unitemps, our recruitment agency for temporary work. They offer a range of assignments which you can fit around your studies within the University or local community. However, don’t rely on part-time or casual work to partially fund your tuition fees, rent and essential maintenance as opportunities can be limited and unpredictable. Also before you apply, talk to tutors or current students to find out how many hours a week you are allowed to work during your programme, in and out of term time.

Visit our website for more information on postgraduate study and funding options.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Google+
• Share on LinkedIn