Economy Minister announces 54% increase to post-graduate loan support
Post-graduate students will have access to significantly higher tuition fee loans of up to £10,000, Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has announced.
At present post-graduate students from the North can access a maximum post-graduate Tuition Fee Loan of £6,500. The average post-graduate course costs £7,900.
From 2026/27, this will rise by 54% to £10,000, ensuring that more students are able to cover the cost of their tuition fees.
Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibaldsaid said: “Despite the financial pressures my Department is under, I’m determined to keep education as affordable as possible.
“To that end my Department has kept student fees at half the level of Britain and previously increased student maintenance loans by 20%.
“Today I am announcing a 54% increase in loans for Postgraduate students. This will enable more students to undertake postgraduate study and gain the higher-level skills that are vital for the growth and productivity of our economy.”
Ben Friel, President of NUS-USI, said: “Making higher education more accessible and affordable can only ever be a positive, for students, for universities and for Northern Ireland.
“Today’s announcement will be welcome relief to many students who strive to pursue professions which require a post-graduate degree but may have been fearful due to experiencing the financial pressures of completing their under-graduate course.
“Finance should never be a barrier to those who are ambitious and capable of furthering their education no matter the level of study.
“As more students are able to access postgraduate courses, it is also important that they are supported with the cost of living while studying.
“We look forward to engaging with the Department during the upcoming Higher Education Funding Review to ensure students have the support they need to succeed.”
The changes follow a recent public consultation.
The public consultation documents are available on the Department’s website at:
www.economy-ni.gov.uk/news/minister-proposes-increase-postgraduate-tuition-fees-loans
According to HESA data there are around 10k post-graduate (taught) students from Northern Ireland studying at UK universities each year.
The next review of pos-graduate Tuition Fee Loans will be carried out in three years.
A 20% increase in maximum student maintenance loans was delivered for the 2025/26 academic year.
