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
  • £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 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 due date of the deposit
  • 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 

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 

You must request a refund in writing (by email) from your school or college admissions team. 

Find contact details for your programme on the degree finder 

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

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