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United Kingdom · Professional exam

LLM SQE courses, loans and scholarships

A master’s degree with Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) training built in, such as a Master of Laws (LLM) with SQE preparation, is the only kind of SQE course for graduates that a student loan can pay for. In England, Student Finance England’s Postgraduate Master’s Loan is up to £13,206 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2026. Courses without an academic award don’t get loan funding, so the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) points to employers, payment plans and a few funds instead.

  • £13,206Top master’s loan for courses from August 2026
  • Under 60Age when the course starts
  • 11Organisations giving out SRA SQE funding
Where to study

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What is an LLM SQE course?

Some universities offer an LLM or other master’s that includes SQE1 training, SQE2 training or both. There are versions for law graduates and conversion versions for people with a degree in another subject. The SRA says these are likely to cost more than a standalone course, and some charge more than the loan, but others set their fees at or below it, so the loan could cover both the training and the assessment.

Before you choose, the SRA suggests checking exactly which SQE subjects and skills the master’s covers, since some go beyond what the SQE needs. The SQE assessment fees are separate from any course fee.

SQE courses, including LLMs, compared →SQE cost →

Using a Postgraduate Master’s Loan for an LLM SQE

Student Finance England lists the LLM among the courses its loan can pay for. The loan is paid to you, not the university. To qualify:

  • the course must be a full, standalone master’s worth at least 180 credits, not a postgraduate certificate or diploma
  • it must be full-time for one or two years, or part-time for two to four years
  • you must be under 60 on the first day of the course’s first academic year
  • you can’t already have a master’s degree or a higher qualification, or have had a master’s loan before

The SRA’s training options page still gives an older top figure of £11,222. The loan is set by Student Finance England, whose page gives £13,206 for courses starting from 1 August 2026 and £12,858 for courses that started between 1 August 2025 and 31 July 2026. Residency and nationality rules apply too.

SQE funding for courses without an award

Standalone SQE1 and SQE2 courses don’t qualify for student loans. The SRA lists these other ways to pay:

  • self-funding, for example by working while you study
  • your employer, through a grant, a loan or an apprenticeship
  • a commercial bank loan, which some providers arrange
  • a provider’s own instalment plan
SQE apprenticeships →

SQE scholarships and free places

The SRA’s SQE Access and Reinvestment Fund gave around £360,000 in 2025 to 11 organisations that cover SQE assessment costs for people facing serious barriers. Each runs its own selection, so you apply to them, not the SRA. They include the Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme, Black and Proud CIC, the Legal Social Mobility Fund, the Social Welfare Solicitors Qualification Fund, Bristol Law Society, Accutrainee, Aberystwyth Veteran’s Legal Link Clinic and schemes at four course providers.

The Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme gives SQE or Legal Practice Course (LPC) scholarships with mentoring and work experience to people from less advantaged backgrounds. Applications for the 2026 round closed on 1 April 2026, and it asked applicants with a criminal record to apply for an early character and suitability assessment first.

Sources: SRA · GOV.UK · The Law Society and 2 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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