Tuition fee deposits

You need to pay a deposit for some of our postgraduate taught degree programmes to secure your place. You can find details about the deposit, if required, on the degree finder.

What a deposit is

The deposit is a minimum payment that you need to make after you receive your offer and before you start your studies. The amount of the deposit will be deducted from your tuition fees that you will pay later.

You can pay more of your tuition fees in advance if you want to.

Deposits can vary, but for full-time degree programmes they are normally charged at:

  • £1,500 for a full masters programme
  • £2,500 for a Business School taught programmes
  • £1,000 for a postgraduate diploma
  • £500 for a postgraduate certificate

Check if your programme has a deposit on the degree finder (see 'Fees and funding' section)

Deadline for paying deposits

Your offer letter shows the deadline for paying your deposit. Deadlines and the way you pay your deposit vary depending on your chosen degree programme. If we do not receive your deposit by the stated deadline, we may withdraw your offer.

If you are having difficulty meeting our deposit deadline, contact your admissions team. Your school or college can grant a deadline extension at their discretion.

Find contact details for your programme on the degree finder 

Deposit waivers

If your degree programme requires a deposit, you will need to pay it by the stated deadline to secure your place, unless you qualify for an exemption.

You will not need to pay a deposit if you:

  • provide acceptable evidence of a sponsorship or full scholarship covering your tuition fees by the deposit payment deadline
  • previously studied at the University of Edinburgh and received one of the following bursaries or scholarships:
    • Rest of UK (RUK) Undergraduate Bursary
    • Scotland Accommodation Bursary
    • University of Edinburgh Scholarship
    • Scotland Scholarship
    • Access Edinburgh Scholarship

Deposit waiver criteria may differ depending on your school, college, or degree programme. Check the deposit policy for your school or college in conjunction with the degree finder entry for your programme.

Refunds for deposits

We can only refund deposits if: 

  • you request a refund of your deposit within 14 days of us receiving the payment
  • we are unable to provide the degree programme originally applied for, offered and accepted, and you do not want to take a place on any alternative degree programme
  • you fail to meet the conditions of your offer, including any English language requirements, and you provide appropriate validating evidence as outlined in the deposit policy for your degree programme. If you do not make an attempt to meet the conditions of our offer, we will not refund the deposit. Contact the school you applied to if you need more information.
  • your UK student visa or ATAS clearance is refused or rejected, except where the refusal is a result of:
    • a fraudulent visa application
    • insufficient funds
    • supplying incorrect documents
  • you experience exceptional circumstances like serious illness or bereavement (the school or college will make a decision on a case-by-case basis)

We cannot refund deposits for any other reason.

Making a refund request 

If you need to request a refund of your tuition fee deposit, the process depends on both:

  • when you paid your deposit
  • the reason for your refund request

Requesting a refund within 14 days of your payment

If you want to request a deposit refund within 14 days of the date we receive your payment, you must submit your request through the Applicant Hub.

Requesting a refund if you are now fully sponsored

If you have paid your deposit and have since received sponsorship that covers your full tuition fees, please contact your School or College Admissions Team and provide evidence of your sponsorship.

All other refund requests

Any other deposit refund requests must be submitted by email to your School or College Admissions Team.

Find contact details for your programme on the degree finder

Refund timescales

If you are eligible for a tuition fee deposit refund and your refund has been approved, the time it takes to receive your refund will depend on the refund method used.

Find out about refund methods and timescales

If you requested a refund in error or changed your mind

If we refund a deposit, your application will be automatically withdrawn. You should contact your admissions office if you want us to reactivate your application for the same degree programme in the same academic year.

Find contact details for your programme on the degree finder 

You will need to reapply if you want to be considered for the same degree programme, or a different degree programme, in a later academic year. 

Transferring deposits

If you have paid a deposit for a postgraduate degree programme but want to accept a place on a different postgraduate programme we offer, we can transfer your deposit to the new degree programme. The programme must start in the same academic year.

We cannot transfer your tuition fee deposit to a different degree programme starting in a different academic year.

If you have requested a deferral

If we agree to your request to defer your start date and you have: 

  • not yet paid a deposit: you will need to pay the deposit to secure the offer of the deferred place
  • already paid a deposit: we will retain the deposit and allocate it to the tuition fees due for the deferred place in the following year 

If we refuse your deferral request and you have already paid a tuition fee deposit, a refund will be at the discretion of your school or college.

School and college deposit policies

Paying your tuition fees deposit

If your programme requires you to pay a tuition fee deposit, this will be shown in your application.

To pay your deposit:

  1. Log in to the Applicant Hub.
  2. Open the application for the programme that requires a deposit.
  3. Select the option to pay your tuition fee deposit in the Finance tab.
  4. Choose your payment method - either: 
    • debit or credit card
    • bank transfer
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your payment.
  6. Make sure you pay the full deposit amount by the deadline.

Applicant Hub

This article was published on