Information for scholarship award holders
If you have been awarded a scholarship you may have queries about your payments, additional funding available, or what happens if you need to take a leave of absence.
Terms and conditions
For University of Sheffield and UKRI-funded students, follow the links below for the funding terms and conditions.
Students in receipt of funding from other external (non-UKRI) sources should consult with their funder regarding their specific terms and conditions. Similarly, students on split-funding arrangements should check the specific terms and conditions of both funders to ensure compliance.
Payment of scholarships
If your scholarship includes a maintenance allowance (stipend) this will be paid in advance directly into your bank account in four equal quarterly instalments. All scholarship maintenance payments are exempt from income tax and National Insurance contributions.
You will be asked to provide your bank details at the pre-registration stage. If you haven't yet provided your bank details, or need to update them, go to MUSE > My Services > View all MUSE Services > Bank Details and follow the instructions. You can change your bank details up to five working days prior to the payment due date.
Payment dates
| Maintenance for months |
Payment date* |
|---|---|
| October/November/December | 1 October |
| January/February/March | 1 January |
| April/May/June | 1 April |
| July/August/September | 1 July |
* Payment will be on the first day of the quarter, or as soon as possible after registration.
The above dates apply to those students who register or re-register for 1 October. If you are a cross-sessional student and have a different registration date, then your payment dates will differ:
|
Jan start |
Feb start |
Mar start |
Apr start |
May start |
Jun start |
Jul start |
Aug start |
Sep start |
Oct start |
Nov start |
Dec start |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1st Payment |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
2nd Payment |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
|
3rd Payment |
Jul |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
|
4th Payment |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sept |
Please note that in order to receive payment you will be required to have full registration status on the payment date. You will receive a notification about any payment you are due to receive three working days before it will arrive in your account. If you do not receive a payment when you expect to, or the amount differs from what you expect to receive, please contact paymentstostudents@sheffield.ac.uk including your registration number with your query.
Changes to payment dates
The payment schedule set up at the commencement of your PhD programme is subject to change in the event you take an unfunded Leave of Absence (LOA). For example, should you take a two month unfunded LOA, your next quarterly stipend and all subsequent stipends will be moved back by two months to realign the final payment with your revised end of tuition fees date. The revised schedule remains subject to further change in the event of further unfunded LOA. This is to prevent an unfunded period from accumulating at the end of your tuition fee-paying period.
Payment rates
The current standard UK Research Council rate can be found on the UKRI website. All University Scholarships paid at this standard rate will be paid at the same level. Part-time scholarships are normally paid at 50%. Some scholarships may have different stipend levels and this will be detailed in your scholarship award letter.
Additional financial support
If you have expenses for fieldwork or attending a conference:
- Check the terms of your scholarship to see if you can claim from your Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) or apply for additional funding.
- You may be able to claim from the Learned Societies Fund via your Faculty.
- Non-funded Social Sciences students can apply to the Social Sciences Faculty Research Support Scheme.
- Some external funding bodies offer support for fieldwork, conferences and other expenses.
- Your academic department may have knowledge of or access to other funding sources.
Student Services Information Desk (SSiD) provide further support relating to funding your studies, budgeting, debt management and emergency financial help.
Scholarship confirmation letters
If you require a letter confirming your scholarship (e.g. for a visa extension or as proof of income) please email pgr-scholarships@sheffield.ac.uk with your name, registration number and type of scholarship. For awards managed by Research, Partnerships and Innovation, we can normally produce letters within a few days. For other awards managed by departments, faculties, and CDTs/DTPs, we will refer you email to the relevant party to produce the letter for you.
Who to contact
Email the PGR Scholarships Team at pgr-scholarships@sheffield.ac.uk. Please include your registration number and type of scholarship in your query so we can find your scholarship record.