United Kingdom guide 路 verified 2026-07-04
Cost of Studying in United Kingdom: Tuition, Living and Proof of Funds
Money & proof of funds
Two separate money questions: what tuition and living actually cost, and what the Home Office requires you to PROVE you have before the visa is granted. The proof-of-funds rule is stricter and more mechanical than the real cost of living, get the mechanics (amount, timing, account type) exactly right.
Maintenance funds, London
Mandatory拢1,529/month, up to 9 months (2026)
= up to 拢13,761 if the full 9 months is required. Applies to courses/institutions based in Greater London (City of London + the 32 boroughs).
Maintenance funds, outside London
Mandatory拢1,171/month, up to 9 months (2026)
= up to 拢10,539 if the full 9 months is required.
The 28-day rule
MandatoryFunds held for 28 consecutive days, ending within 31 days of applying
The single most common technical refusal reason. The balance must not dip below the required amount at any point in the 28 days.
Tuition proof
MandatoryAny first-year tuition not already paid to the sponsor
If tuition for the first year is already paid (shown on the CAS), it does not need to be shown again as available funds, only the unpaid balance plus living costs.
Funds exemption
ConditionalNot required for some applicants
Exempt if: held valid UK immigration permission for the 12 months up to the application, are a student union sabbatical officer, or hold a passport from certain listed nationalities/British National (Overseas) status. Most Indian applicants are not exempt and must show funds.
Tuition fees (typical range)
拢10,000, 拢38,000+/year depending on course and university
Classroom-based Masters sit at the lower end; lab/clinical/MBA programs and Russell Group universities at the higher end. Always confirm on the specific university/course page, there is no national fee cap for international students.
International Student Levy (watch for 2028)
拢925/student/year, charged to English universities, not students, from August 2028
Confirmed in the UK's Autumn Budget 2025: a flat 拢925-per-international-student annual levy on England-based higher education providers (first 220 students/year exempt), starting with 2028 to 29 enrolments. It is paid by the institution, not billed to the student directly, but may feed into future tuition-fee rises, too early to quote as a student cost, but worth flagging to families planning multi-year enrolment from 2028 onward.
Immigration Health Surcharge
Mandatory拢776/year, paid upfront for the whole visa (2026)
See Student visa section, this is separate from tuition and maintenance funds and is paid at the time of the visa application, not monthly.
Calculate the exact required amount
MandatoryAdd: (a) up to 9 months of the London or outside-London monthly rate, check the 9-month cap applies to the specific course length (shorter courses need proportionately less), and (b) any first-year tuition not already paid, as shown on the CAS. Use the CAS's own figures, not a generic estimate, since it states the exact fee balance the Home Office will check against.
Choose an acceptable account and hold the funds for 28 days
MandatoryFunds can be the student's own savings, or a parent's/legal guardian's savings with an accompanying letter, but must be in an acceptable account type (not certain restricted investment products) and, per the 28-day rule, held continuously for 28 days ending within 31 days of the application date. A bank letter or recent statements are used as evidence.
When: Fund the account well before applying; count the 28 days backward from the planned application dateA single day where the balance drops below the required threshold restarts the 28-day clock.Budget realistically beyond the visa minimum
RecommendedThe Home Office minimum is a floor for the visa, not a real cost-of-living estimate. London students commonly spend more than 拢1,529/month once rent, transport, and food are counted realistically; outside London, costs vary widely by city (Manchester, Birmingham, and Glasgow generally cheaper than London; Oxford/Cambridge/Bath rents can rival London). Counsel families to budget above the visa-minimum figure, especially for rent in high-demand university cities.
The London/outside-London monthly maintenance rates are periodically revised by the Home Office. Always check the live gov.uk figure before advising a family on the exact amount to deposit, do not carry forward a previous year's number.
Where this fits
This is one step of the full United Kingdom journey: admission, tests, application, visa, money, arrival and stay-back, every figure cited to an official source.
More on United Kingdom
Bramica is independent and takes no commission from any university, recruiter or agency. This page is information, not immigration advice. Rules, fees and thresholds change; confirm the current requirement on the official source before acting on it.