Paying your tuition fees

Before you can start to study with us, you must tell us how you intend to pay your tuition fees. How you pay depends on how you are funding your studies.

We offer various payment methods and options for paying student fees. Fees may include: 

  • tuition fees
  • course fees (if you study on a part-time intermittent basis)
  • additional programme costs (APCs)
  • other charges, including fees your school or college might charge (for example, material costs charged at school or college level) 

Student academic fees 

Register how you will pay your tuition fees

At the start of every academic year, you must complete a form to tell us how you intend to pay your tuition fees. You need to complete the form even if you are internally or externally funded. 

When you submit the form, we will email you guidance on the next steps you need to take to pay your fees or to confirm your funding to us.  

Register how you will pay your tuition fees (complete our form)

When to pay

You will pay your fees and costs in full within 30 days of the date of issue of your invoice, unless you have registered to pay in instalments.  

You need to complete the 'register how you will pay your tuition fees' form to tell us how you intend to pay your tuition fees. You have to submit the form at the start of each academic year. 

Students studying on a part-time intermittent basis 

If you are studying on a part-time intermittent basis, we will issue invoices for each course separately. We refer to this as 'invoiced at course level' (ICL). This means your course fees are due in full on or before matriculation, and at the start of each new course after that. 

How to pay

Externally-funded students 

You are an externally-funded student if you are: 

  • funded by a sponsor
  • receiving financial support from your government
  • receiving a tuition fee student loan 

The process of paying your tuition fees will depend on the type of funding you receive. If your tuition fees are being paid by a sponsor on your behalf, you may need to provide proof of your funding. 

The payment of all fees and charges is your responsibility. If your sponsor does not pay the fees invoice within 30 days of the invoice date, you will need to make the payment.  

Externally-funded student payment methods 

Who can be a sponsor 

Internally-funded students

You are an internally-funded student if you have an award, funding or a scholarship from the University of Edinburgh for all or part of your tuition fees. 

Internally-funded student payment information 

Self-funded students (including partly self-funded) 

You are a self-funded student if you either: 

  • fund your own studies or
  • get financial help from family or friends or
  • receive financial assistance direct from an external funder or sponsor (excluding educational loans from a government agency) 

You can pay your tuition fees in full or, in most cases, we can agree for you to pay by instalments. 

If you are paying in full, then you must pay your fees as soon as we send your invoice. We will email the invoice to your University student email account, and add it to the My finance channel of your student portal. 

If you are paying by instalments, then the standard instalment plan would require you to pay 50% of your tuition fees on or before matriculation and then two instalments of 25% over the academic year. 

Self-funded student payment methods 

If you have to pay a deposit

If you pay a deposit towards your degree programme, this will be deducted from the total amount of fees you have to pay. 

Your deposit will not show on your invoice. 

If you pay your deposit early in the year, there may be a delay before this shows on your student account in My finance. 

Tuition fee deposits

Financial requirements you need to meet for a Student visa

If you have a Student visa, you may need to prepare financial evidence for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). Your documentation needs to show that you have enough money to cover your tuition fees and the living costs for the duration of your degree programme. 

Any pre-payments of tuition fees and accommodation costs will reduce the amount of money you have to show to UKVI. There is a maximum amount you can deduct for accommodation. 

Your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) will show your tuition fees and any pre-payments you have made. 

How much money you need and what you can deduct from the amount you need to show 

You must pay any remaining balance of student fees in full or by instalments. 

Advice on paying tuition fees for international students 

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