New £10,000 loans for postgraduate study welcomed

Posted 1 December 2015

Harper Adams University has welcomed the introduction of £10,000 loans for Masters students, announced in the Government's Autumn Statement.

Particularly welcome is confirmation that the loans will be made available to people up to the age of 60. “When these plans started to emerge, it was mooted that loans might only be available to students aged under 30, but opening them up to under 60s creates opportunities for so many people to advance, or even change, their careers, where finance might previously have been a barrier,” said Heather Hogan, postgraduate officer. 

“Whether a potential Masters student is just finishing their first degree or has been working for years, or even decades, we would welcome the opportunity to talk to them about their options at Harper Adams. Our next postgraduate open afternoon is this week, Friday December 4, but we hold them regularly throughout the year. 

“There is also plenty of information on our website harper.ac.uk/postgrad and people can also contact me directly on 01952 815289 to discuss postgraduate study or to request an application form.”

Harper Adams University offers 30 Master of Science courses, in the following subject areas:

• Agriculture
• Agri-business
• Animals related
• Applied Ecology and Entomology
• Engineering
• Food
• Forestry
• Rural Estate and Land Management
• Pest Management
• Soil and Water
• Sustainable Energy

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has also welcomed the availability of postgraduate loans from 2016-17 and said it would continue to work closely with universities and colleges to support the progression of students.

Professor Madeleine Atkins, HEFCE Chief Executive, said: “Postgraduate education is important for the life chances of individuals, for the supply of the highest levels of knowledge and skills to enhance the nation's productivity and global competitiveness. 

“The creation of a new loan scheme provides critical finance to support these goals. We look forward to working closely with Government to review how the loans affect the development of courses at Masters level and to positioning the postgraduate education agenda during the coming years.”