Scholarship award information (01 apr 2014 onwards)
Scholarship information for applicants with offers made on or after 1 April 2014.
Information for all applicants
- Applicants in receipt of a PGR offer (in EUCLID) are given 14 days to respond to the offer via the ‘Respond to Offer’ link of their MyEd portal.
- This page provides additional advice about studentships, the award of studentships, payment of fees, matriculation etc.
- Where an applicant has been selected for a postgraduate studentship award, this information will be included as part of the EUCLID offer.
- Applicants are asked to read the terms and conditions below (for either a self-funded or funded offer) before using MyEd to confirm acceptance of their study place, scholarship award, and these terms and conditions.
Please contact the Informatics Graduate School if you wish to clarify any funding information prior to accepting your EUCLID offer.
Information for self-funded applicants
If you have received a self-funded offer please ensure you have read the information and accept the terms below before accepting the offer in EUCLID.
- Self funded offers are made to applicants who are either planning to personally fund themselves throughout their programme, or to applicants who are in receipt of an external scholarship (paid directly to them rather than through the University).
- Tuition fees are subject to annual revision and are typically increased by approximately 5% per annum. Acceptance of a self-funded offer is a commitment that tuition fees will be paid, irrespective of any future fee increases or adjustments.
- Upon matriculation, the University will directly contact you to arrange payment of these fees. If you have secured a scholarship or sponsorship for your studies you should satisfy yourself that the sums awarded will be sufficient to cover these costs. Further funding information is available at Informatics postgraduate fees
- If you go beyond the 3 years of your PhD, you will receive (and will be required to personally pay) the fees for each semester in which you are registered beyond the end date of your programme. This includes a matriculation fee for the 4th year of study and any continuation fees if you gain an extension to your programme end date which goes beyond the original maximum 4 year (full time) programme period.
Information for applicants in receipt of an offer supported by studentship funding
If you have received an offer of admission with a studentship managed by the School of Informatics, please ensure you have read the information and accept the terms of the offer before accepting it in EUCLID.
- The IGS report on studentship awards from a number of internal and external sources; where possible full information about the funding source will be provided in the EUCLID offer letter.
- CDT studentships funded by the School of Informatics (or any other School) are held to the terms and conditions of the UKRI/EPSRC. You can find these terms and conditions on the UKRI webpages: https://www.ukri.org/publications/terms-and-conditions-for-training-funding/. By accepting a scholarship offer which includes UKRI/EPSRC funding (made via EUCLID), students are confirming they have read the UKRI/EPSRC terms and conditions and that they meet the funding eligibility requirements as outlined by UKRI/EPSRC terms and conditions of the grant.
- Any questions about funding eligibility should be discussed with the IGS or relevant CDT Administrator prior to acceptance.
- If you have secured an externally funded scholarship or sponsorship for your studies, you should satisfy yourself that the sums awarded will be sufficient to cover these costs. Further funding information is available at Informatics postgraduate fee.
- Tuition fees are subject to annual revision and are typically increased by approximately 5% per annum. An offer to fund tuition fees is a commitment that fees will be covered, irrespective of any future fee increases or adjustments.
- All funded applicants should carefully note the funding period of the award. For institute-led PhD programmes, this is usually 3.5 years for a full-time PhD student. For CDT programmes, this is usually 4 years for a full time PhD student.
- The scholarship award will commit to a fixed period of funding, although this may be shorter than the length of the maximum programme of study.
- School of Informatics funding packages provided to both institute-led PhD and CDT students do not cover any matriculation, continuation or post viva correction charges that may be applicable to students who request extensions beyond their maximum end dates.
- All students are required to matriculate with the University on or shortly after the start date prescribed in the EUCLID offer letter. Any proposed change of start date should be discussed with the intended supervisor and the IGS, which may require and amendment in funding provision and the creation of a revised EUCLID offer letter. See matriculation advice at Arrival & Induction.
- Upon matriculation, all PGR students must provide the University Fees Department with a copy of their offer letter. In the case of funded PGR students, this is to ensure the University issues the tuition fee invoice to the School of Informatics (and not you as an individual).
- If any student is issued with an invoice for tuition fees which they believe the School of Informatics is responsible for paying, the student must immediately react and respond by informing the IGS or CDT Finance Administrator.
- If a student who is incorrectly invoiced fails to act promptly and / or fails to respond to contact attempts made by the Income Section, the Income Section will issue a late payment fee and the student will be personally liable to pay this extra charge.
UKRI / EPSRC funded students and those on UKRI/EPSRC CDT programmes
- PGR students funded by UKRI/EPSRC CDTs hosted by the School should note the progression requirements that must be met in order for funding to continue year on year.
- If a student is in receipt of a four year CDT scholarship for a 1+3 programme, then upon satisfactory completion of the MScR degree and approval by the MSc Board of Examiners and CDT Executive Committees, you will be registered for the PhD degree consecutively following successful completion of your MScR. Students should refer to their programme handbooks for detailed information on progression decision making.
- If a student is in receipt of a four year CDT award for a PhD with integrated studies, annual progression and continuation of funding is contingent upon successful completion of each of the year's taught credits and progression approval of the CDT Executive Committee. Students should refer to their programme handbooks for detailed information on progression decision making.
Industry funded / external sponsored students
- Where a studentship award has been made up of non-School funding sources (e.g. from funding provided to the School by an industry funder), the external sponsor may require the University to provide them with updates related to student status and study progress.
- In accepting the offer of admission, which is supported by an external sponsor, you are giving prior permission for the School to provide such information where necessary. Note that this agreement does not affect your statutory rights under the UK Government Data Protection Legislation.
Academic progress must be satisfactory for stipend payments to continue to be paid
- If a funded student does not make satisfactory academic progress, at any point, the University reserves the right to either transfer the student to a lower degree or to discontinue their studies. In either event the studentship would be terminated or reduced in duration accordingly.
- Studentship funded PGR students are required to immediately inform the School in the event of any withdrawal from their studies, irrespective of whether this withdrawal is of a permanent or temporary in nature. In such an event the School reserves the right to suspend or terminate studentship payments.
In order to maintain our UKVI Highly Trusted Sponsor status, the University must report any unauthorised absence of visa sponsored students.
Failure to respond to any attendance monitoring request may result in the suspension or termination of your studentship payments and, in serious cases of non compliance, exclusion from the programme of study.
See our attendance monitoring advice page.
In general, studentship income is exempt from UK income taxes, subject to standard income limits, individual circumstances or additional income.
Students in receipt of a scholarship award are encouraged to consult HM Revenue & Customs for additional information.
Depending on a student's nationality, they may have an obligation to pay taxes in their home country whilst in receipt of a UK studentship. It is the responsibility of the student to pay any taxes due in this circumstance.
UKRI(EPSRC) Phase 3 Funding Extensions for EPSRC DTP/ICASE and CDT students
The College PGR team have put in place a process for dealing with on-going funded extension requests from students with an EPSRC DTP or ICASE studentship, in line with EPSRC’s guidance on the use of further flexibilities to support extensions (“Phase 3”).
Students on EPSRC DTP and ICASE grants can apply for a funded extension if they have experienced significant disruption to their PGR studies, provided they have not passed their funding end date. The application form and guidance notes are hosted on the College's SharePoint site so that it can be used by students on an ongoing as-needed basis. For avoidance of doubt, there will be no active calls for applications, rather applications can be submitted on an ongoing basis until informed otherwise.
Completed applications should be submitted by the student directly to pgrcse@ed.ac.uk (cc'd their supervisor).
UKRI expect students to apply no earlier than 6 months ahead of their official funding end date.
- E.g. if a student's funding end date is 31 August 2022, then the earliest an applicaiton for extra funding can be submitted to the College would be 01 March 2022.
- If a student is unsure of their official source of funding and / or funding end date, they should email the IGS@inf.ed.ac.uk for confirmation.
Only if the funding extension will take a student beyond their maximum end date, should students submit a programme Extension of Studies request form in the usual way. If a programme extension is also needed, students should submit their School approved extension form at the same time as their funding extension form.
Applications will be reviewed by the Dean of Postgraduate Research and nominated Heads of Graduate School within the College.
The College PGR team will communicate the outcome of the application to the student, their supervisor, graduate school contact and College finance.
Each of the School's CDTs must put in place a process for UKRI "Phase 3" funded extension requests.
The Director of the CDT (as the relevant grant holder) is responsible for making decisions on future funding extensions to student cohorts who have been most impacted by COVID-19 pandemic.
UKRI/EPSRC funded CDT students and incorporated students can apply for a "Phase 3" funded extension if they have experienced an can evidence significant disruption to their PGR studies, provided they have not passed their funding end date.
UKRI expect students to apply no earlier than 6 months ahead of their official funding end date.
- E.g. if a student's funding end date is 31 August 2023, then the earliest an application for extra funding can be submitted to the relevant CDT would be 01 March 2023.
- If a student is unsure of their official funding source and/or funding end date, they can email the IGS@inf.ed.ac.uk for confirmation.
The application form, guidance notes and how to apply will become available from your CDT administrator.
Only if the funding extension will take a student beyond their maximum end date, should students submit a programme Extension of Studies request form in the usual way (via the IGS/College).
Applications will be reviewed by the CDT Director (with support form other CDT Exec members if required) and decisions communicated to students by the CDT.
Notes:
- Where a funding extension is to be approved for a UKRI / EPSRC funded student, the CDT Portfolio Manager should be should be consulted as part of the approval process.
- Where a funding extension is to be approved for an Incorporated student (i.e. School or industry funded), the CDT Portfolio Manager (School funded students) or the relevant School Portfolio Manager (industry funded students) should be should be consulted as part of the approval process.
UPDATED 14 MARCH 2022