Managing your money as a postgraduate student

Studying a postgraduate course is a big commitment, requiring both time and money, but offers fantastic opportunities to study what you love at a higher academic level. And gaining a postgraduate degree can open doors to lots of career options, too.

We know that finances are a big consideration for many students, so we’ve put together some information and tips on how you can manage your money.

Research your tuition fees

Postgraduate courses can vary in cost depending on where you study and what course you study. At Edge Hill University, full-time postgraduate taught courses usually cost £9,550 per year (with a few exceptions, such as MBAs), full-time MRes courses cost £6,150 per year, and full-time PhD courses cost £6,550 per year (prices for academic year 2026/27). Be sure to look at the specific course you’re interested in to confirm the tuition fee amount.

Find out what help you can get

In England, the government offer Master’s loans of up to £13,206, and you can apply for one of these if you’re studying a taught Master’s course or an MRes. If your course lasts for more than one year, your loan will be divided equally across each year of the course, so it’s important to bear that in mind. If you’re looking to study a PhD, you can apply for a government doctoral loan of up to £31,122. Take a look at the eligibility criteria for government loans for full information and details.

If you’re studying a postgraduate research course, you could apply for a research council grant for further funding, too.

PGCE’s work a little differently, and for these courses you can apply to Student Finance England in the same way as an undergraduate degree. Subject to eligibility, you can apply for a loan for your tuition fees, and a separate maintenance loan which is means tested based on household income.

Set yourself a budget

Although there is help available through government loans, it’s unlikely that this will cover everything you need. So, it’s important to set yourself a budget and work out how much you’ll need on a weekly basis. Things to consider in your budget include living costs (if you plan to live away from home), travel costs, food and toiletries, course materials, and monthly outgoings like your phone bill, Spotify or Netflix. Many students work part-time alongside their studies, as even full-time courses are often only timetabled for 2-3 days per week. This can be a great way to build experience and earn extra cash alongside your course.

I decided to work through the summer to save money to help support me whilst studying and I worked on Saturdays in the shop on campus to earn some extra money too. If you struggle with budgeting, the University have a great Money Advice Team who can help you.

Laura, PGCE Primary Education with QTS

Keeping your costs down

Being thrifty isn’t just good for the environment, it’s also great for your wallet. Shopping second-hand on Vinted is an easy way to save money, and you can list things you no longer need to make some cash back too.

Ask about student discounts wherever you go. Here in Ormskirk, most bars, restaurants and cafes offer student discounts, and signing up Student Beans or TOTUM will get you discounts at retailers across the country. And if you’re planning to use public transport, you’ll be able to apply for a student bus or railcard.

When it comes to the food shop, planning out your meals in advance and creating a list, or even pitching in with your roommates and taking turns to cook, can keep costs down a lot. Shopping late at night is usually the best time to get discounted groceries, and Aldi in Ormskirk is great for this.

When it comes to socialising and down-time, most Universities put on plenty of free-to-attend events. At Edge Hill, our Students’ Union and our Student Life Team organise events specifically for postgraduate students, as well as free breakfasts for students who commute onto campus, all of which are free or heavily discounted.

As a postgraduate student, I lived close to campus, so I chose to stay at home and commute by car, allowing me to save on rent and bills. I took advantage of student discounts when buying new clothes and avoided unnecessary expenses like pricey coffees. I also purchased an annual student membership for the Sports Centre and made use of the facilities before or after class, which was much cheaper than other gyms.

Anais, MA Marketing Communications & Branding

Ask our students

You can chat to our current postgraduate students and ask about their experience by using our online chat feature. We’re confident that they will have some great advice and top tips on managing money, as well as what it’s like to study at postgraduate level.

To find out more about fees and funding for postgraduate courses at Edge Hill, visit our 2026/27 Fees and Funding pages.

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Protecting yourself from scams

Scams can affect even the savviest of individuals. Being clued up is great. But scammers are constantly changing how they target individuals to try to catch you out.

It’s important to be vigilant, especially in a university environment where scammers may pose as the university or organisations connected to Higher Education, such as Student Finance or UCAS.

Understanding how scams work, how to spot them and protect yourself is key. Here’s what to do and look out for if you think you have been targeted.

Types of scams and how to spot them

How to protect yourself from scams

Be suspicious – If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If something doesn’t seem right, take a moment to think it over. Scammers often make you feel rushed or under pressure by giving you a limited time to respond (such as ‘within 24 hours’ or ‘immediately’). You never need to respond straight away. Take time to talk it through with someone you trust before responding.

Do your research – Is the message claiming to be from someone official? You should always research organisations before engaging. Even if you don’t suspect a scam, do a simple online search to verify their legitimacy.

Be cautious with links – If you receive a message via email or social media which includes a link, don’t click it unless you know for sure what it is. If the message seems suspicious, contact the sender directly before taking action. If you don’t know the sender, ignore the message and block the user.

Think before sending money – Never send money to anyone you have only communicated with online or by phone. If a request appears out of the blue, take time to look into it. Scammers often exploit current news stories or specific times of the year to make scams seem more relevant to you. If unsure, contact the organisation directly, not through the original message. Edge Hill University will never contact you and ask for a payment to be made. If you receive a request, contact the Money Advice Team.

Protect your personal information – Scammers will try and find out as much as they can in an attempt to build trust with you, or steal your information. Make sure your social media accounts are private and refrain from sharing sensitive information unnecessarily.

Check for mistakes – Quite often scammers make mistakes. Spotting spelling or grammatical mistakes can help you identify a scam. Look carefully at the sender’s email address using a variation that may look legitimate.

Make your accounts secure – Both inside and outside the University, using different passwords for different accounts is a great way to increase your security. This will help prevent a scammer from hacking into multiple accounts. It’s also recommended to not use your EHU email address for personal purposes. This helps keep your personal and university accounts separate and more secure should you need to reset your passwords.

How to report a scam to the University

Staff

If you are a member of staff seeking support with phishing-related enquiries, please visit the IT Services SharePoint site or contact the team at ITServiceDesk@edgehill.ac.uk.

Ask for help

Remember, if you fall victim to a scam, it isn’t something to be ashamed of. What’s important is asking for help, reporting the situation, and finding out what to do next. For more information, please visit our keeping your money safe webpage or visit the National Cyber Security Centre and Action Fraud.

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