Scholarships and alumni discounts for a master’s

Alumni discounts of 10% at Leeds, 20% at Sheffield (capped at £2,500) and 20% at Newcastle. Where to look, and when.

Key facts

University of Leeds alumni
10% off the self-funded part of the fee
University of Sheffield alumni
20% off, capped at £2,500, September 2027 entry
Newcastle University alumni
20% off for all full years of study
Inns of Court (Bar and conversion courses)
Apply to one Inn; deadlines late October/early November (Bar) and early May (conversion)

Two kinds of money reduce the fee before you borrow anything: alumni discounts for graduates returning to the same university, and scholarships awarded on merit, subject or background. Leeds applies its discount automatically at registration; Sheffield asks you to claim it on the pre-registration financial declaration; check each university’s rule. Scholarships have deadlines months before the course starts.

Courses for this guide

Master’s courses in the finder

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Courses with a StepEx loan

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

The University of Law

StepEx loanSee the representative example
MA Law (Conversion) Non London Full Time

MA · Full time · 1 year

StepEx loan: 48 months · 9.0% APR representative

Fee
£15,150

Fee for 2027/28

£1,944 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 90%

The University of Law

StepEx loanSee the representative example
MA Law (Conversion) Non London Part Time

MA · Part time · 2 years

StepEx loan: 60 months · 7.6% APR representative

Fee
£15,150

Fee for 2027/28 · whole course, over 2 years

£1,944 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 90%

The University of Law

StepEx loanSee the representative example
LLM Legal Practice (SQE1&2) - Part-time Non London

LLM · Part time · 2 years

StepEx loan: 60 months · 5.1% APR representative

Fee
£15,450

Fee for 2027/28 · whole course, over 2 years

£2,244 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 90%

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 2710 courses

2468 likely affordable · affordable first, then highest graduate pay at 5 years

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City St George's

Corporate Risk Management MSc

MSc · Full time · 1 year

Fee
£16,000

Fee for 2026/27 (September 2026 entry)

£2,794 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 89%

City St George's

Quantitative Finance MSc

MSc · Full time · 1 year

Fee
£16,500

Fee for 2026/27 (September 2026 entry)

£3,294 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 89%

Loughborough

MSc Finance

MSc · Full time · 1 year

Fee
£14,000

Fee for 2027-28

£794 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 84%

Loughborough

MSc Accounting and Finance

MSc · Full time · 1 year

Fee
£14,000

Fee for 2027-28

£794 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 84%

Durham

Finance

Master’s · Full time · 1 year

Fee
£17,500

Fee for September 2027 entry

£4,294 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 93%

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.

Alumni discounts

Some universities cut the fee for their own graduates. Leeds pays 10% of the self-funded part; Sheffield 20% capped at £2,500 for September 2027 entry, including former study-abroad students; Newcastle 20% on every full year. Each has exclusions, so read the eligible-course list. Other universities offer similar schemes; check each university’s funding page.

Scholarships

Look in three places: the course page (subject scholarships), the university’s postgraduate funding page (university-wide awards, often for under-represented groups or specific countries), and professional bodies. For intending barristers, the four Inns of Court run their own scholarship rounds (Bar guide). Deadlines usually sit with the application rounds.

How it interacts with the loan

A discount reduces the fee; the Master’s Loan stays £13,206 because it is not means-tested and not tied to the fee. So a discount increases what is left for living costs.

Ways to pay the rest

  • 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

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