Studentships and stipends
The 2026/27 framework gives an annual stipend rate of £21,805. Payments are monthly in arrears, on the last working Thursday of the month. Check your particular award: not every student receives a standard fully funded studentship.
What standard University funding covers
The framework describes UK-rate tuition fees for three full-time PhD years or 12 full-time MRes months, plus a monthly stipend. Part-time stipends are pro rata. A fees-only award has no stipend. Fee-waiver-scheme projects are full-time and must have a regular stipend attached.
Your offer confirms your funding arrangements. Standard registration can outlast funding: see Registration periods. Grace-period fees normally fall to the student and a grace period does not automatically extend stipend funding.
Payments and evidence
Finance transfers funds to your bank account on authorisation from the Operations Team. No remittance advice is sent; ask the team for a payment-confirmation letter if needed. Provide bank details through the official form/process in Forms directory, not in this wiki.
Conditions and changes
- Continued funding depends on satisfactory progress, including timely review reports.
- Full-time stipend recipients should not undertake activities, such as significant employment, that prevent full-time study.
- Notify the DoS before taking full-time employment; University stipend payments stop and overpayments may be reclaimed.
- Withdrawal or a ratified termination-for-progress decision also ends payments. During an appeal of the progression decision, the stipend is suspended pending outcome.
- The DoS arranges changes with the authorised resource signatory. Study-break decisions belong on RD7; other stoppages use the stipend-stopper form.
- Staff notification must reach the Operations Team by 12 noon on the Monday before the last Thursday of the month in which payment should change.
See Stipends during study breaks, Illness and medical leave and Family and compassionate leave for leave-related provisions. External-funder conditions need checking separately.
Tax and National Insurance
The framework describes University/UKRI studentships as training awards, not taxable income, but earnings from teaching or employment may be taxable. It says no additional NI contributions are paid with the award. Individual tax, pension and benefits circumstances remain separate; the Doctoral College does not provide that advice.
Sources: Framework §§3.3, 3.5, pp. 23, 25–28. Rate and funding · Payment and conditions.