Scholarships and funding: 2020-21
The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) provides a variety of funding opportunities for Masters and PhD students. The list below shows the opportunities that are relevant for FASS students.
This includes studentship funding through the major research councils, including the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), as well as other more specialised programmes.
You can find details of University-wide opportunities and the postgraduate loan scheme on the University's Postgraduate Scholarships and Bursaries page.
| Studentship | Level of Study | Details of Award | Eligibility | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PhD degree | Covering tuition and maintenance | UK/EU and Overseas | CLOSED | |
| PhD degree | Covering tuition and maintenance | UK/EU only | OPEN | |
| AHRC North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP) Studentships | PhD degree | Covering tuition and maintenance (UK applicants) or fees only (EU applicants). | UK/EU only | 7 February 2020 |
| ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) Studentships | Masters Degree followed by a PhD ("1+3"), or PhD degree | Covering tuition and maintenance (UK applicants) or fees only (EU applicants). | UK/EU only | 3 February 2020 |
| Faculty Postgraduate Scholarships | Masters degree, Masters Degree followed by a PhD ("1+3"), or PhD degree | Ranging from fee bursaries to fee bursaries plus maintenance grants up to the value of £15,000. | UK/ EU and Overseas | 28 February 2020 |
| Cultures of Creative Practice and Social Change (Department of Languages and Cultures) | PhD Degree | Covering tuition fees and a contribution towards maintenance costs | UK/ EU and Overseas | 28 February 2020 |
| PhD Degree | Covering tuition fees and a contribution towards maintenance costs | UK/ EU and Overseas | 28 February 2020 | |
|
Transnationalism, Mobility and Borders (Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts) |
PhD Degree | Covering tuition fees and a contribution towards maintenance costs | UK/ EU and Overseas | 28 February 2020 |
| Department Scholarships | Varies by department | For information about departmental studentships please see the relevant department’s postgraduate funding page. | Varies | Varies – please see the relevant department’s PG funding page |
| Alumni Loyalty Scholarship | Masters degree | Reduction in tuition fees to all taught masters programmes for Lancaster Alumni. |
All Alumni | Automatic consideration |
| Postgraduate Loan Scheme - Masters | Taught and research Masters degrees | Non means-tested loans of up to a maximum of £10,906 for taught and research masters students. | UK/EU only | - |
| Postgraduate Loan Scheme - PhD | PhD Degree | Non means-tested loans of up to a maximum of £25,700 for PhD students. | UK only | - |
| The Peel Trust Studentship | All | Award up to an individual maximum of £2,500 reserved for applicants aged 21 or over on the first day of the first term for which they are seeking assistance. | UK/EU & Overseas Aged 21 or over. |
Opens 2 March 2020 Deadline 22 May 2020 |
Faculty Scholarship Funding
Leverhulme PhD studentship
Applicants are sought for a fully-funded three-year PhD studentship on The Social Lives of Batteries and New Energy Materials, based in the Leverhulme Material Social Futures Doctoral Training Centre and the Sociology Department. The successful applicant will be supervised by Dr Nicola Spurling (Sociology, Lecturer in the Theories and Methods of Social Futures).
If you want to apply for this studentship, please put 'Leverhulme' in the Source of Funding section of your programme application. If you have already submitted your programme application form please contact us at fass-pg@lancaster.ac.uk and we will make a note on your behalf.
For further information please see the Sociology PhD page.
Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Doctoral Training Partnership Studentships
In association with the North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP), each year Lancaster University invites applications from outstanding candidates for AHRC Doctoral Studentships. The NWCDTP expects to make approximately fifty awards across the whole range of arts and humanities subjects. A small number of these are likely to be for Masters study by candidates who show exceptional potential for doctoral research.
For further information please see the AHRC Studentships page.
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Studentships
Lancaster University forms part of the ESRC's North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP). Each year around 60 studentships, covering tuition and maintenance, are available for those wishing to study in areas covered by the ESRC at Lancaster, Liverpool, Manchester or Keele.
For further information please see the ESRC Studentships page.
Faculty Postgraduate Scholarships
A number of Faculty Postgraduate bursaries and scholarships are available for students wishing to study for a Masters degree, a Masters Degree followed by a PhD (“1+3”), or for a PhD degree within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
For further information please see the Faculty Scholarships page.
Departmental Studentships
For information about departmental scholarships please see the relevant PG funding page (where there will also be information about applying for the Faculty Scholarships in that department):
- English Literature & Creative Writing
- History - Masters; PhD
- Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts (LICA) - Masters; PhD
- Languages & Cultures
- Law School
- Linguistics & English Language - Masters; PhD
- Politics, Philosophy & Religion (PPR)
- Sociology - Masters; PhD
University funding opportunities
Alumni Loyalty Scholarship
Lancaster University will offer a reduction in tuition fees to all taught masters programmes for eligible applicants, determined by the level of undergraduate or postgraduate award achieved. The value of the scholarship is as follows:
If you hold an undergraduate degree from Lancaster University:
- 20% fee reduction for 1st Class Hons degree holders
- 10% fee reduction for 2:1 Hons degree holders
If you hold a postgraduate degree from Lancaster University:
(for students who intend taking a second taught Master's programme at Lancaster University)
- 20% fee reduction for Master's with Distinction degree holders
- 10% fee reduction for Master's with Merit degree holders
Note: the Alumni Loyalty Scholarship will be based on the most recent programme of study undertaken at Lancaster University
To be eligible for the Alumni Loyalty Scholarship you must either:
- Hold an undergraduate or Master's degree from Lancaster University (achieved at any time), or
- Hold an undergraduate or Master's degree from Lancaster University, achieved at any time, including one delivered through an associated institution, or
- Have graduated from one of our partner institutions with a Lancaster University degree4= (LU Ghana, Sunway University Malaysia, or LU College - BJTU Weihei China) or
- Have studied at Lancaster University via our Study Abroad programme
- Some Master's by Research programmes may be eligible, please contact us to check.
The Scholarship is open to all our Alumni, regardless of their nationality or year of graduation. You do not need to apply for this scholarship, you will qualify automatically if you meet the eligibility criteria and the course entry requirements.
Other bursaries
In addition to the above, a number of full and partial bursaries are offered by Lancaster University. Details of all such funding opportunities are available from the University's Postgraduate Funding pages and in a searchable database on the Student Services website. There are also the following:
- The Peel Trust Studentship (worth up to £2,500) is unique to Lancaster, and is reserved for applicants aged 21 or over on the first day of the first term for which they are seeking assistance. Both UK and international students may apply, with applications assessed on the basis of academic merit and financial need. This is now closed for 2019 entry.
- College awards (worth between £500 and £2,000 per annum) from Bowland, County, and Furness.
UK students
Postgraduate Loan Scheme - PhD
Information about funding opportunities for UK students, including Professional & Career Development Loans and Government Funding, is available from the Student Based Services website. Applicants can borrow between £300 and £10,000 to support the cost of up to two years of learning (or three years if it includes one year's relevant unpaid practical work).
Possible sources of Government Funding include Disabled Student's Allowance, Tax Credits, and (for UK part-time students) Government (state) benefits such as housing benefit, income support and council tax benefit.
International students
Other opportunities
A number of funding opportunities are available for international students through the British Council and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Online resource
The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding provides information about funding for postgraduate study for UK, EU and overseas students. Students at subscribing UK universities can access the Guide for free; if your university does not subscribe you can buy an individual licence for yourself. Current Lancaster students can find more information about accessing the Guide on the Careers website. Students at other UK universities should check the list of subscribers to see if their university is included.