Other sources of funding

Income from work, grants or employer sponsorship can help fund your studies.

Income from work

Many students work while they study. How much you can work, and the type of work you can do, depends on the following: 

  • whether your degree programme is full-time or part-time
  • if you have a Student visa with restrictions on work hours 

If you’re a full-time masters student, we recommend that you do not work more than 15 hours per week so that you have enough time for your studies. 

If you apply for or receive a scholarship, you might have a contractual limit on the number of hours you can work. 

Work restrictions on a Student visa 

Typically, if you study full-time on a Student visa you will only be allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours a week during term time. You may need to fit this part-time work in at evenings and weekends. 

Working in the UK with a Student visa 

Working while studying part-time or online 

If you are studying for a part-time or online degree programme, you may have more flexibility around when, where and how much you can work. 

Check the average workload for online programmes on the degree finder 

Alumni discount

We offer a 10% discount on the tuition fees of most postgraduate degree programmes for: 

  • alumni who have graduated with an undergraduate degree from the University of Edinburgh
  • students who have previously matriculated as an undergraduate visiting student and completed a minimum of one semester of study at the University of Edinburgh 

Tuition fee alumni scholarships 

Grants

You may be able to apply for grants from charitable organisations in the UK. You can use the Turn2us Grants Search tool to find grants you may be eligible for. 

You do not need to repay grants. 

Turn2us Grants Search 

Disabled Students’ Allowance 

You may be eligible for additional support to cover study-related costs due to disability or long-term illness. You can use the allowance to pay for: 

  • specialist equipment
  • non-medical helpers
  • extra travel costs
  • other disability-related study support 

Disabled Students' Allowance 

Employer sponsorship

Some employers may provide financial support to employees taking postgraduate degree programmes, recognising the benefits further education provides to their workforce. You may want to approach your employer to see if they will contribute to the cost of the fees for your degree programme. 

We have a short guide on approaching your employer for funding. The guide is aimed at postgraduate online programmes, but the recommendations can be adapted for on-campus study. 

Requesting funding from your employer

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