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Applying for student finance: MA and MRes

Last updated 14 October 2026

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How to apply for a Postgraduate Loan for Master's and MRes programmes

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Please note this information is valid for 2026 entry. Any updates for 2027 entry will be made in December 2026.

This section refers to the process for applying for the Postgraduate Loan. If you are a Master's of Architecture (Part 2) student, please apply for undergraduate funding in the first instance.

Please click on the relevant funding body, below, for more information on applying for your Postgraduate Loan.

Awarding body:

You only apply once for Student Finance, even if your programme lasts for more than a year.

If you haven’t already done so, you should apply online for your Student Finance before the deadline (which is usually the following May after you started the course). If you are a new student, applications will open in the June before you are due to start. Straightforward applications will take 4–6 weeks to be processed by Student Finance England.

You can find out more about the Student Finance you may be entitled to and the eligibility criteria on the Student Finance England website. The RCA has also summarised the key facts.

You only apply once for Student Finance, even if your course lasts for more than a year.

If you haven’t already done so, you should apply online for your Student Finance before the deadline (which is usually the following May after you started the course). If you are a new student, applications will open in the June before you are due to start. Straightforward applications will take 4–6 weeks to be processed by Student Finance Wales.

You can find out more about the Student Finance you may be entitled to and your Student Finance Journey on the Student Finance Wales website.

If your programme lasts more than one year, you will need to reapply for your Student Finance for the subsequent year(s) of your programme.

If you haven’t already done so, you should apply online for your Student Finance before the deadline (which is usually the following May after you started the course). If you are a new student, applications will open in the June before you are due to start. Straightforward applications will take 4–6 weeks to be processed by Student Finance Northern Ireland.

You can find out more about the Student Finance you may be entitled to and your Student Finance Journey in the Student Finance Northern Ireland Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loan Guide.

If your programme lasts more than one year, you will need to reapply for your Student Finance for the subsequent year(s) of your course.

If you haven’t already done so, you should apply online via the SAAS website for your Student Finance as soon as possible. If you are a new student, applications will open in the June before you are due to start. Straightforward applications will take 4–6 weeks to be processed by the SAAS.

You can find out more about the Student Finance you may be entitled to and the eligibility criteria on the SAAS website.

Ask a question

Any further questions? Email our Student Support team.

Email us at
student-support@rca.ac.uk
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