How to pay your fees

Fees will increase for each year of your programme as follows:

• UK fees: For UK students on undergraduate courses, the University will apply annual regulated increases in the fee rates as set by the Government each year, in order to maintain the same value in real terms.
• Overseas fees: For overseas students on undergraduate courses, annual fees will increase by four per cent (4%) for each subsequent year of study, rounded up to the nearest one hundred pounds (£100), subject to any overriding applicable legislative requirements.
• Integrated foundation year fees for overseas students: The programme fee for the foundation year (year 0) is detailed on the relevant undergraduate course page. Students subsequently progressing into year 1 will be liable for the same fee as overseas students joining at year 1 for the same programme in that year. Annual fees after year 1 will increase by four per cent (4%) for each subsequent year of study, rounded up to the nearest one hundred pounds (£100), subject to any overriding applicable legislative requirements.

Once registered, students paying fees by instalment are expected to settle their accounts promptly as indicated on their email invoices.

In the event of a student failing for any reason to complete a programme of study the University is not under any obligation to return any part of the fees paid by the student, or on behalf of the student.

UK students can get a student loan through Student Finance for their tuition fees and living fees.

You are expected to pay tuition fees upon arrival at the University, or bring evidence that you are in receipt of a scholarship which includes payment of the full fees direct to the University.

An invoice will be sent to your university email account, and you will be expected to pay the first instalment, equal to 50 per cent of your fees, within the first four weeks of the semester. If you are sponsored by your Government or sponsoring agency, you are responsible for ensuring that the University receives the correct sponsorship letter.

You may want to pay part or all of your first year’s tuition fees in advance to help when applying for a student visa. You can do this through the e-payment gateway. Please mark any payments “UG fees” and include your full name and student number.

Annual fees will increase by 4% for each subsequent year of study, rounded up to the nearest £100, subject to any overriding applicable legislative requirements. Fees for new starters are reviewed annually.

Once registered, students paying fees by instalment are expected to settle their accounts promptly as indicated on their email invoices.

In the event of a student failing for any reason to complete a programme of study the University is not under any obligation to return any part of the fees paid by the student, or on behalf of the student.

Deposit amounts

In order to firmly accept a postgraduate taught offer of admission at the University of Surrey, applicants are required to pay a deposit towards the fee (September 2024 entry deposit is £3,000). If the total fee for the year is less than £4,000, applicants are required to pay at least 50 per cent in order to register. Applicants who are studying unstructured part-time versions, or distance learning courses are required to pay the amount of the first module as their deposit payment.

Students progressing on to another programme within Surrey and applicants with ‘Home’ fee status are not required to pay the initial deposit.

Please note that applicants for programmes offered by Guildford School of Acting and MBA are still required to pay the deposit regardless of their fee status. 

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes are required to pay £2,000 deposit towards the tuition fees.

Deadlines

The deadline for paying your deposit will be listed on your Surrey Self-Service, and will normally be a time frame of 1-2 months from the date you received your offer.

Some programmes may be able to confirm places for students who pay their deposit after the deadline depending on the space on the course, however once your deadline has passed, we may need to withdraw your offer.

For programmes starting at any other time of the year, the deposit must be paid no less than 10 days prior to the start of the programme.

Tuition fees are payable at the beginning of each academic year, however, we offer all self-funded students the opportunity to pay in instalments.

September/October starts

After you have paid your deposit, the first instalment of 50 per cent of your tuition fee is payable 10 days after the date of your invoice, coinciding with the start of Semester 1.

The second instalment – the balance of the fee – is payable on or before 31 January, coinciding with the start of Semester 2.

February starts

After you have paid your deposit, the first instalment of 50 per cent of your tuition fee is payable 10 days after the date of your invoice, coinciding with the start of your first semester, in February.

The second instalment – the balance of the fee – is payable on or before 31 May, coinciding with the start of your summer study period.

January, April or July starts

If you are a postgraduate research student starting a programme in January, April or July, the full fee is due 10 days from the date of your invoice. Payment of the balance of your fees is due on receipt of your tuition fee invoice, raised after starting your course. Invoices will be emailed to your university email address following registration.

Postgraduate loans

If you have been accepted for the postgraduate masters loan or doctoral loan, and are having difficulties in paying your fees before your first instalment is due, please contact our student finance team at student-receivables@surrey.ac.uk, once you are in receipt of a tuition fee invoice.

You will have received information about payment of tuition fees through the Surrey Self-Service portal.

Once you have accepted your unconditional offer and satisfied the requirement below with regards to your fees, and obtained your Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate if required, a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) can be issued for your Tier 4 visa.

You must either:

• Pay a deposit of £2,000 or the full tuition fees 
  or
• Provide formal proof from a sponsor that you are in receipt of a scholarship (family members or relatives are not considered a sponsor) which will be paid directly to the University and which will cover your tuition fees in full. It is important that your sponsor provides a fully completed external sponsorship form that is acceptable to the University. You are responsible for ensuring that this form is on file so that the invoice for your tuition fees can be sent directly to the sponsor.

Please refer to paragraph eight of the postgraduate admissions policy for details of the deposit refund policy and to access the deposit refund request form.

If you are being sponsored, evidence of sponsorship must be issued by an authorised officer of the official sponsoring body and must have a recent date of issue. The external sponsorship form, available on the Surrey Self-Service portal, must be fully completed by the sponsor and uploaded by the applicant or student.

International students can only be issued with a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) once satisfactory evidence of sponsorship has been received.

If you are being sponsored by the University, either through a research council grant or departmental scholarship, your funding information will be sent to the Admissions team by your department. You do not need to arrange for a sponsorship form to be sent.

If your sponsor subsequently fails to pay fees within 30 days of an invoice being issued, the University may no longer recognise them as a sponsor and you will then be invoiced as a self-funded student.

Your tuition fees at Surrey may be referred to as ‘composition fees’. Composition fees include tuition, registration, examination/assessment (but not re-examination/assessment) and membership of the Students’ Union.