Postgraduate funding
UK applicants
Eligible PhD applicants will automatically be considered for EPSRC or STFC studentships and University Studentships unless they inform us otherwise. The minimum EPSRC/STFC stipend payment for 2013/4 is £13,726. Applications should be received by February, if possible, for entry in the following October, although in some cases studentships may be available for late applicants. Studentships require an upper-second-class honours degree (or equivalent), except that a Master's degree (including a MPhys/MSci/MEng first degree) and/or suitable postgraduate work experience reduces the requirement to lower-second-class.
Other sources of possible funding are EPSRC/STFC Research Project studentships (available for certain projects only), CASE studentships involving contributions from an industrial partner and University of York PhD Studentships, especially teaching studentships which involve carrying out limited teaching/demonstrating work during the PhD period.
There are also the Schools Competition Act Settlement Trust post graduate awards. Research scholarships are available for postgraduate study from applicants who have attended certain schools in the independent sector, please visit their website for more information.
Applicants for the MSc by Research and the taught MSc in Fusion Energy course must arrange their own funding. There is no restriction on starting date or application date for the MSc by Research, although most students start in October. Applicants for the MSc in Fusion Energy start in October.
The 2013 Diamond Jubilee Scholarships are now open. Students who achieve three 'A's at A Level or three 'A' Grade Advanced Highers or five 'A' Grade Highers and join an IET accredited degree course starting in October 2013 are eligible. The value of the scholarship for a Masters student is £4000, with an application deadline of June 27th 2013. For further information and for details of IET approved programmes please visit www.theiet.org/diamond .
European Union (EU) nationals
EPSRC/STFC PhD Studentships are also open to all EU nationals. For those resident in, or "connected" to, the UK, these studentships provide full funding of University fees and the stipend to cover living expenses. For other EU nationals, EPSRC's current regulations require the studentships to be held on a fees-only basis (i.e. without a stipend). The Graduate Office estimated that your living costs would be about £9500 per year.
EPSRC PhD Research Project Studentships (available for certain research projects only, as stated) provide full funding for EU nationals (or any others eligible to pay University fees at the UK/EU rate).
Non-UK EU nationals can obtain further advice on funding from the British Council website.
Scholarships for French students: Entente Cordiale scholarships provide funding for French students taking a postgraduate course in the UK. The scholarship can fund Master's courses, running over a period of twelve months, or one year of a PhD programme. The scholarship is for one year only and is not renewable. The scholarships provide £10,000 towards fees and living expenses, and applications can be made through the British Council.
The University is able to offer scholarships of value up to £10,000 to academically strong overseas students accepted for study onto the MSc in Fusion Energy. Please see the 'Finance' section here.
Other sources of funding (such as EU or industrial sponsors) are sometimes available for specific projects.
Applicants for the MSc by Research and the taught MSc in Fusion Energy course must arrange their own funding. There is no restriction on starting date or application date for the MSc by Research, although most students start in October. Applicants for the MSc in Fusion Energy start in October.
Research Councils UK has just announced that it has adapted its eligibility rules so that EU nationals may apply for funding. Please click here for further information.
Overseas students (Non-EU)
The Scholarships for Overseas Students is now open for applications to overseas students; please go to http://www.york.ac.uk/study/international/fees-funding/scholarships/ for further information.
There is also new University funding available for overseas students who perform well on the MSc programme to proceed to PhD studies. Please see the 'Finance' section here.
The University's funding webpages have information on scholarships available from the University and other sources. The University offers the Overseas Research Scholarship (ORS) for which applicants need an conditional offer of a place and the Overseas Continuation Scholarship for students progressing from a Masters degree at York to a PhD. The deadline for applying for these is April 30th each year. There are many other sources of funding such as Commonwealth Scholarships for nationals of all commonwealth countries except the UK and the Marshall Scholarship for US nationals.
Most scholarships offer partial funding. The Commonwealth Scholarships offer near full funding paying fees and a stipend for living costs.
You can find further advice on funding from the British Council website.
For PhD applicants able to provide their own funding there is no restriction on starting date or application date, although most students start their courses in October.
Applicants for the MSc by Research and the taught MSc in Fusion Energy course must arrange their own funding. There is no restriction on starting date or application date for the MSc by Research, although most students start in October. Applicants for the MSc in Fusion Energy start in October.
Other funding information
Most graduate students choose to perform paid demonstrating and marking for the department, allowing them to supplement their income by several hundred pounds per year.
Summary of eligibility for PhD funding
| UK | EU | Non-Eu | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPSRC/STFC Studentships | Yes |
Yes (Project studentships may offer a stipend) |
No |
| University of York Studentship | Yes | Yes | Yes (EU fee rate only) |
| ORS + UoY Overseas Scholarship | No | No | Yes (partial) |
