Postgraduate student finance

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; and The Charities Digest.

There's a useful online guide to funding from charities and trusts, the Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding, which is co-written by a postdoctoral researcher at ARU. Anyone can access it but if you're currently studying at ARU, you can login for free here.

You can search for funding from educational trusts on the Turn2Us website.

MA Social Work students might be eligible for funding through either a bursary or the Postgraduate Loan (see the separate tab on this page about the Loan). As a university, we're offered a limited number of bursaries, so we cannot guarantee that you will get one. Bursaries are allocated according to your interview score, which reflects current Department of Health guidance.

Social work bursaries are available if you:

• don’t get funding from your employer
• are studying an approved postgraduate course in social work
• don’t already have a higher education social work qualification
• are nominated by your university.

Your bursary will be paid in three instalments, at the start of each semester.

To apply, download the postgraduate application form from the NHS Business Services Authority website. The website also has details of funding levels and application deadlines.

If you have any questions about social work bursaries, you can find answers on the NHS Business Services Authority website which includes links to an enquiry form and helpline.

As well as the postgraduate social work bursary, it's worth exploring other funding options that might apply to you. These include:

• Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)
• Adult Dependent Grant
• Parents' Learning Allowance
• Childcare Grant towards the cost of registered or accredited childcare costs

As Health Education England’s (HEE) ‘Preferred Provider’ for Essex, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, HEE may be subsidising the tuition fee for students starting our MSc Physician Associate. If you're invited to attend an interview for this course, we hope to be able to give you more details.

Graduate loans are available through high street banks. You should discuss your needs with the bank and shop around for the most suitable loans.

If you’re a postgraduate student taking either a full or part-time recognised taught or research course you’re 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 course. For more information and to download an application form, visit Gov.UK.

The two main types of tax credit – Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit – have been replaced by Universal Credit for most people. There are several rates of standard allowance. You may get more money on top of the standard allowance if you have children, a disability or a health condition, or you care for a severely disabled person.

Universal Credit is income-based, but certain types of student income aren't counted. Find out more at Gov.UK.

If you’re a registered full-time student you don’t have to pay a council tax bill unless you live with someone who isn’t a student. If you do live with non-students you may still be able to get a discount on the total cost.

To get a discount you may need to get proof that you’re a registered student from our University iCentre. You can do this once you’ve started your course.

Visit Gov.UK to find out more about council tax discounts.

You might be eligible for help with health costs such as prescriptions, glasses and dental treatment through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Being a student doesn't mean you’re entitled to help with these costs, each claim is assessed individually and depends on your financial circumstances.

You’ll need an HC1 claim form to apply. You can get this from Student Services on the campus you’re studying at or from any benefits office, NHS hospital, dentist, doctor or optician. You can also request an HC1 form and get more information on the Low Income Scheme from the National Health Business Services Authority.