I have been told by a supervisor I contacted that I have the PhD place if I can obtain funding. How do I go about obtaining my own funding, who do I approach? Would appreciate any advice, thanks

Your supervisor will have the best ideas, as funding is very often subject or institution specific. See our Funding and PhDs Explained sections for links and information.

Is it too late for this year (i.e. to start in Sept) to get funding as I've been told the same thing? I would also like to know how often does this occur?

What does it mean - i.e. find your own funding? That you didn't make the grade/cut it for the funded studentships advertised (very competitive!!) but they still like you?

I mean it's really difficult, practically impossible to find own funding!

And very short notice as it's only giving 5 months to get funding!! Is it enough possible?

opps ... typo even instead of enough! The more I think about it the more impossible it sounds so I am wondering why do they offer that place?

'Get your own funding' doesn't mean you didn't make the grade/cut. Funding is simply hard to come by and many people finance their own PhD study. It is usually the academic offering the place who has been unable to secure funding for the projects they wish to pursue, not the student applying. This doesn't mean the academic is no good either. They may have funded projects in other areas - most academics have far more research questions they want answered than there is funding available for.

Whatever the reason for no funding being available most academics will only accept students who they feel are capable of achieving a PhD - those that aren't present them with too much hard work in the future and with a poor investigation of the questions they want answered.