Finding the wherewithal

Most taught postgraduates are self-funded.

Almost three-quarters of British and EU students enrolled on taught postgraduate courses have no financial support from the state and instead rely on their savings, family money or bank loans, according to a study published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. Some 60 per cent of postgraduate research students are self-funded, it also finds.

Including international students, 57 per cent of postgraduate students have no financial backing from the state. Only one-fifth of UK and other EU postgraduate research students have funding from a UK research council.