NEW tuition fee loans of up to £5,500 are to be made available to postgraduate students.
Employment and Learning minister Stephen Farry yesterday announced the support package for Northern Ireland students taking postgraduate taught courses.
The majority of postgraduate students cannot access any standard support package for their tuition fees.
The vast majority, particularly those on taught courses such as masters programmes, must self-fund their studies.
Dr Farry said arrangements were now in place for the introduction of a new non means tested tuition fee loan of up to £5,500.
There are about 8,000 students in UK higher education institutions who could potentially benefit from the new loans, which will be available from the 2017/18 academic year.
"The new loan will allow students to extend the balance on their existing undergraduate loans to receive additional tuition fee support for an additional year of postgraduate study," the minister said.
"It will also be available over a number of years for students wishing to study on a more flexible part-time basis."
NUS-USI president Fergal McFerran said it had become increasingly difficult for people to be able to fund themselves to enter postgraduate study.
"As a student movement we are naturally opposed to financial barriers which prevent individuals from accessing education, including fees and debt. We see the introduction of a postgraduate tuition fee loan, with a low rate of interest, as a positive step," he said.
