How To Fund Your Degree
You can get financial assistance from various sources to help fund your course. Sources of financial help include sponsorship, bursaries, scholarships and loans. You can also get a discount on your tuition fees by referring a friend to the University.
Sponsorship
In some cases, you may have your study sponsored by a government organisation or large company. This means that the organisation will pay your tuition fees (and sometimes your living costs), and may even be able to cover your deposit for you. In some cases, you might receive this sponsorship in the form of a scholarship.
There will usually be some terms and conditions, such as you returning to your home country after the course, or working for a particular organisation for a fixed time. You could get sponsorship for your undergraduate or postgraduate study, but you'll need to check the exact details with your sponsor.
Scholarships
Unlike a bursary, a scholarship is usually awarded to you on merit. This means that they are normally awarded to students who may have a proven skill in academics or athletic ability, or to those who fit the specific criteria of the scholarship.
Many scholarships have rules associated with them, such as an expectation that you maintain a high grade throughout your studies, and you'll normally need to follow these rules to continue receiving aid.
Unlike a loan, you are not expected to pay scholarships or bursaries back.
Loans
Student loans are normally designed to help students pay for educational expenses, like tuition fees, course materials and living expenses. You'll be expected to pay these funds back at various repayment thresholds. There are no UK Government-backed loans available for international students and the UK Government confirmed in 2019 that EU, EEA and Swiss nationals starting their course in the academic year 2021/22 and beyond will no longer be eligible for the tuition fee loan.
If you're an American national or permanently resident in the US, you can apply for a US Federal Loan if you've accepted an offer to study here.
What if I am part of the EU Settlement Scheme?
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals who have been granted settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme will generally still be eligible for tuition fee and maintenance support if you have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for at least 3 years. For more details on eligibility and what support is available visit the Study in the UK: guidance for EU students pages on the Gov.UK website.
Students who are looking for postgraduate study and are part of the EU Settlement Scheme can check their eligibility at gov.uk/masters-loan.
Referral Awards
If you're a current student or alumnus, you can get a reward for promoting the University of Portsmouth to your friends, family or colleagues. You can earn up to £400 by recommending us to others.
Support for disabled students
The Additional Support and Disability Advice Centre (ASDAC) arranges academic support for disabled students to help access their studies. This is in the form of adjustments, assistive technology and access to academic support workers. This does not include any direct financial contributions to the student.
If you have additional costs arising from a disability (e.g. you require personal care support) it is important that you plan for these costs before coming to University. If you have a sponsor you may wish to check with them if they offer assistance with these costs.
You may also be interested in checking your eligibility to apply for support from the Snowden Trust.