Do PhD students receive stipends for living expenses and other costs in UK?

Yes, you can absolutely receive a stipend for your PhD in the UK, but this depends entirely on landing a funded studentship rather than being automatic for every admitted student. If you secure UKRI level funding, you get a genuinely livable, tax free income plus your tuition covered in full, so it is worth prioritizing funded positions in your applications.

2026/27 UKRI Stipend Rates

A fully funded studentship also covers 100 percent of your tuition fees and typically adds around £5,000 a year through a Research Training Support Grant for fieldwork, lab materials, and conference travel.

If You Are Not Fully Funded

• UK Doctoral Loans of up to £31,122 are available, though generally restricted to UK nationals and those with settled status
• You can supplement your income by working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant or Research Assistant, earning roughly £10 to £20 an hour
• As an international student, you will still need to personally cover your £558 Student Visa fee and £776 annual Immigration Health Surcharge

My Advice

Prioritize applying for advertised, fully funded projects over writing your own proposal from scratch, since funded positions come with your stipend, tuition, and research budget already secured. Search FindAPhD by your subject and fee status early, and ask your counsellor to help you shortlist supervisors who currently have live funding.