Tuition fees and sources of funding
Regardless of whether you’re considering studying at home or in another country, one factor that you will definitely have to take into consideration is the tuition fees you will be charged for your studies and the different possible sources of funding you can access to pay them.
Like in most countries, UK universities differentiate between international and domestic students when they set their tuition fees. In the majority of cases, this in practice means that the fees that international students pay are higher for international students. The UK government’s arrangements for the way that its own citizens pay for their tuition also means that while international students have to pay all their fees in full before or during their studies, British students now repay them after they finish studying.
How much you could expect to pay in tuition fees depends essentially on the rate that your chosen university decided to charge, with most universities charging different fees to international students based on two main factors, namely the level of study (undergraduate, postgraduate) and the subject being studied.
Partly this is a question of the resources required to teach any given courses, with science courses generally being more expensive than arts ones due to the need to pay for laboratories and scientific equipment. However, the level of demand for the chosen course is also a factor, with certain in-demand courses–for example ones related to the oil industry or business and financial qualifications–often demanding higher fees.
Due to the university being responsible for setting its own fees for international students and the different levels they charge for each course, it’s unwise to generalise too much about how much you’d be likely to pay if you studied in the UK. However, at one of the top universities the minimum annual tuition fee for an undergraduate degree will probably be in the region of £12,000, with science or finance courses likely to be more like £15,000. The levels are often similar for postgraduate courses, though it’s not uncommon for certain specialist master’s degrees to be even more expensive, with some at the best universities reaching the heights of £25,000. A year’s worth of preparatory English sessions, meanwhile, will probably also cost around £12,000, with shorter sessions costing proportionally less depending on the exact period of study.
Depending on what you could expect to pay for education in your own country these fee levels could seem rather high. It’s important to bear in mind, however, that you are paying for quality, and that in the long run an investment of £35,000 or £50,000 is worth it if it opens the door to a highly paid and successful career for you.
What these fees do mean, however, is that it’s certainly worth taking your time to discover as much about the course and university as possible before you make any decisions. For the fees you are paying you should demand a course that offers you excellent learning opportunities in the form of highly qualified and motivated lecturers, state-of-the art facilities and specialist support for international students.
It’s also worth bearing in mind the fact that many universities offer opportunities for fee discounts and scholarships for international students. The richest and best universities in particular are always eager to recruit the most talented students–especially research students–and are willing to pay for them.
The variation between different universities when it comes to discounts and scholarships is even more diverse than the fee levels themselves. Not only do some universities have different automatic fee discounts or scholarships for international students that are based on things like the country they come from, but they also have different discounts for different subjects.
The largest discounts and the best scholarships are likely to be based on merit rather than automatic factors such as nationality. This is unsurprising, given that the goal of a scholarship is usually to attract the most talented students to that university.
Because fee discounts and scholarships are determined by each individual university, your best bet is to thoroughly read through the Finance or Fees sections of the universities where you are interested in studying. These will provide a list of exactly what scholarships or discounts are available, and also what you need to do to apply for them.
It’s definitely worth taking the time to do this, as many international students are surprised by just how many opportunities there are for them to cut the cost of their studies, or even get scholarships that not only pay their fees but cover their cost of living as well!
You should also look into opportunities in your home country for scholarships and grants for students who wish to study overseas. While we can’t advise you on whether or not the government of your country or any domestic organisations offer schemes to help meet the cost for people from your country to study in the UK, it’d certainly be worth your while to do some research into what might be available, as many international students who come to the UK are either partly or fully supported by an institution from their home country
Within your own country is also the best place to look for institutions that provide loans for student tuition fees and living expenses. As a foreigner in the UK your access to these things from UK banks or the government is extremely limited, so if you are going to need a loan to cover your studies then it’s essential to arrange one in your home country!