How conclusive is a departmental PhD funding nomination before the central funding letter arrives?
I recently received an email from a department at a UK university saying they had nominated me for a fully funded PhD studentship (fees + stipend for 4 years), and that the central funding office would send the formal award letter within the next couple of weeks. My supervisor also reached out to congratulate me.
I currently work full-time and have a 3-month notice period. The PhD starts in September, so timing-wise I’m trying to work out when to resign.
I know the cautious answer is “wait for the official letter,” but I’m curious how final departmental nominations usually are in practice. For broader context, I am at the brink of a burnout at my current job and want to leave asap...
Has anyone seen cases where funding fell through after this stage, or is the central office letter generally just an administrative formality?