StepEx

What the Master’s Loan does not cover

Diplomas, certificates, bootcamps, accelerators, top-ups, a second master’s, repeat years, and anyone 60 or over. What to do instead.

  • Not covered

    Postgraduate diploma or certificate (PGDL, Bar Practice Course, PGCert)

  • Not covered

    Bootcamps and career accelerators

  • Not covered

    Top-up courses

Find courses you could afford

The loan is for one full, standalone master’s, taken by someone under 60 who has not held a master’s before. Outside that there is no Student Finance England product. The main exclusions and the alternatives for each are below.

ItemFigure
Postgraduate diploma or certificate (PGDL, Bar Practice Course, PGCert)Not covered
Bootcamps and career acceleratorsNot covered
Top-up coursesNot covered
Already hold a master’s, or had a master’s loanNot covered
Aged 60 or over on the first dayNot covered
Repeating a yearNo extra loan

Courses for this guide

Courses with no student loan in the finder

Diplomas, accelerators, bootcamps and the Buckingham degree. Enter your details once to see which you could afford and the ways to pay for each.

You are seeing example figures, not yours

We have filled in figures for a typical applicant so you can see how the finder works. Change them to yours and every result updates.

Courses with a StepEx loan

StepEx Lender Ltd offers loans for these courses. Approval is not guaranteed.

LSE · with FourthRev

StepEx loanSee the representative example
Digital Marketing, Strategy & Analytics Career Accelerator LSE

Short course · Part time · 6 months · Online

StepEx loan: 24 months · 0.8% APR representative

Fee
£6,300

Fee for Current offer

No SLC loan
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: not available

King's College London · with FourthRev

StepEx loanSee the representative example
KCL Product Management Career Accelerator

Short course · Part time · 6 months · Online

StepEx loan: 24 months · 0.7% APR representative

Fee
£6,400

Fee for Current offer

No SLC loan
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: not available

LSE · with FourthRev

StepEx loanSee the representative example
LSE AI Leadership Accelerator

Short course · Part time · 6 months · Online

StepEx loan: 24 months · 0.6% APR representative

Fee
£7,995

Fee for Current offer

No SLC loan
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: not available

Our ranking is impartial: whether a course has a StepEx loan is not a factor. All courses are ranked by affordability, then graduate pay at 5 years. Courses with a StepEx loan are also shown in a separate section above.

More about how we rank

Top 5 of 49 courses

13 likely affordable · affordable first, then highest graduate pay at 5 years

Sort

LSE · with FourthRev

StepEx loanSee the representative example
Digital Marketing, Strategy & Analytics Career Accelerator LSE

Short course · Part time · 6 months · Online

StepEx loan: 24 months · 0.8% APR representative

Fee
£6,300

Fee for Current offer

No SLC loan
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: not available

King's College London · with FourthRev

StepEx loanSee the representative example
KCL Product Management Career Accelerator

Short course · Part time · 6 months · Online

StepEx loan: 24 months · 0.7% APR representative

Fee
£6,400

Fee for Current offer

No SLC loan
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: not available

LSE · with FourthRev

StepEx loanSee the representative example
LSE AI Leadership Accelerator

Short course · Part time · 6 months · Online

StepEx loan: 24 months · 0.6% APR representative

Fee
£7,995

Fee for Current offer

No SLC loan
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: not available

King's College London · with FourthRev

StepEx loanSee the representative example
KCL UX & UI Product Design Career Accelerator

Short course · Part time · 6 months · Online

StepEx loan: 24 months · 0.8% APR representative

Fee
£5,995

Fee for Current offer

No SLC loan
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: not available

University of Manchester · with HyperionDev

StepEx loanSee the representative example
University of Manchester Software Engineering online bootcamp (6 month)

Short course · Part time · 6 months · Online

StepEx loan: 24 months · 0.7% APR representative

Fee
£6,265

Fee for Current full price

No SLC loan
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: not available

Open Affordability or Outcomes on any course for the detail. Courses with a StepEx loan are marked and get no preference in the order. How we work it out

Paying the university directly assumes three instalments: at the start, after 4 months and after 7 months. Estimates based on the figures shown, not advice. A StepEx loan is subject to identity, affordability and credit checks; approval is not guaranteed.

Course type

GOV.UK: the course must be a full, standalone master’s (not a top-up), taught or research-based, and you cannot get the loan for a postgraduate certificate or diploma. That rules out the PGDL and the diploma Bar course (PGDL guide, Bar guide), and anything that is not a degree at all, such as bootcamps and career accelerators (bootcamps, accelerators). Where the same content is offered as an MA or LLM, that version qualifies.

You

No loan if you already hold a master’s or an equivalent such as an integrated master’s, if you have had a master’s loan or grant before, or if you are 60 or over on the first day of the course (second master’s guide). A PGCE, PGDip or PGCert held already does not exclude you.

Money

The loan does not grow for a repeat year, and there is no separate maintenance loan in England. Living costs are met from the same £13,206.

What to do instead

  • Student loan. Where the course qualifies, the Master’s Loan of £13,206 (England; other UK nations differ, see the nations guide).
  • Pay the university. Ask about paying in instalments across the year; the university’s own page sets the dates.
  • Employer. Some employers pay all or part of a fee, usually with a condition that you stay for a period afterwards.
  • Scholarships and discounts. University scholarships and alumni discounts, see the scholarships guide.
  • StepEx loan. On the courses listed on the finance availability page, credit from StepEx Lender Ltd lets you pay the fee in monthly repayments after a deposit. Approval is not guaranteed. The representative example for each course is on the provider’s page.

A StepEx loan is credit from StepEx Lender Ltd, available on the courses listed on the finance availability page. Approval is not guaranteed. The representative example for each course is on the provider’s page.

Ways to pay

  • SLC

    The government SLC master's loan. The amount depends on where you live.

    How the SLC master's loan works

  • Pay the university directly

    Usually in three instalments: at the start, after 4 months and after 7 months.

  • StepEx loan

    Available on some courses here. See the representative example on the provider page.

    Check finance availability

Questions people ask

Only through a level 7 apprenticeship, and from 1 January 2026 those are government-funded only for people aged 16 to 21 at the start (under 25 for care leavers and those with an EHCP).

Related guides

Sources and dates

Checked 7 November 2026. Figures are for UK students and change each year; check the university's page before you apply. Not advice.

Estimates, not advice.

Questions about these guides? Contact us.