Professional and Career Development Loans

One of the options available to students considering postgraduate programmes of study, specifically taught postgraduate programmes, is a Professional and Career Development Loan. Professional and Career Development Loans (PCDL) are bank loans that can be used to pay for work-related learning. You can borrow between £300 and £10,000 to help support the cost of up to two years of learning (or three years if it includes one year’s relevant unpaid practical work). The Young People's Learning Agency will pay the interest on the loan while you are learning and for one month afterwards. The loan can be used to pay course fees or other costs such as travel and living expenses. In some circumstances, you can also use the loan to supplement other forms of support such as grants and bursaries.

Because a PCDL is a commercial loan product, it should only be considered as an option once all other student funding options have been investigated.

For further information on financial assistance to support your learning please visit www.direct.gov.uk/ or contact the Next Step helpline on 0800 100 900.

For general advice on PCDLs, including application forms, please contact 0800 585 505.

For more specific enquiries about eligibility, please contact the PCDL Helpline on 0845 000 045.

If you decide to fund your studies with a PCDL, the application will need to be authorised by the University of Bristol as the learning provider. The Student Funding Office should authorise all PCDL applications, please do not approach your department or faculty. The signing of the second form (ie the one that confirms your start date and registration at the University of Bristol) will not be done until you are registered on your programme of study.