UK PhD scholarship value hits 20-year high

The U.K. Research and Innovation (UKRI), which funds around 24,000 PhD students, announced on its website that this new rate would apply starting from Oct. 1.

The previous rate was over £19,200.

PhD students will also receive more benefits, such as the option to take up to 28 weeks of leave or extend their study period by an extra year compared to before.

Ottoline Leyser, UKRI chief executive, stated that "postgraduate training is critical to building the workforce needed for an innovation-led economy and public sector, and to delivering outstanding research and innovation outcomes."

"To capture these benefits, postgraduate training must be accessible to a wide range of people, and to support them to reach their full potential."

Increasing the scholarship amount will encourage researchers to expand their studies across various fields, he said.

However, many argue that this increase is still insufficient, according to Nature.

The £20,780 per year scholarship remains slightly below the current minimum wage in the U.K., which is £20,820, while living costs have risen.

Over a three-year period from 2021 to 2024, the cost of living in the U.K. increased by 20.8%, according to Statista.

The PhD program in the U.K. attracts many international students due to top universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, along with shorter study durations of two-three years compared to the U.S.

According to the Times Higher Education, in 2023, the U.K. had a total of 113,000 PhD students, 40% being international students.