University Fees for Visa Holders in the UK
The difference between home and international university fees in the UK is enormous. Your fee status is determined by your immigration status and residency history, not just where you live now. This guide explains who pays what and how to qualify for lower fees.
- Section
- Practical Life in the UK
- Reading time
- 10 min
- Last checked
- 26 March 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- Home undergraduate fees in England are capped; international fees are set by each university and are not capped.
- For 2026 to 2027 the Tuition Fee Loan covers up to £9,790 a year for a full-time course.
- Home fee status turns on immigration status and residence, not on holding any particular visa.
- The main route is settled status plus 3 years of ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man.
- Refugee status, humanitarian protection and long residence are separate categories with their own conditions.
UK universities charge home and international rates. Home fees in England are capped, and the Tuition Fee Loan covers up to £9,790 a year for a full-time course in 2026 to 2027. International fees are set by each university and are not capped. Home fee status turns on immigration status and residence rather than on which visa you hold. This guide covers the categories, the residence rule, and funding.
Home Fees vs International Fees
UK universities charge two different fee levels:
- Home fees: capped for undergraduates in England. For the 2026 to 2027 academic year the Tuition Fee Loan covers up to £9,790 a year for a full-time course and up to £11,750 for an accelerated degree. Students in this category can also apply for student finance, including a Maintenance Loan of up to £9,118 living with parents, £10,830 living away outside London, or £14,135 living away in London.
- International fees: set by each university and not capped. They vary widely by university and by course, so the figure that matters is the one on the fees page of the university you are applying to.
Student finance is changing for courses starting on or after 1 January 2027, and GOV.UK publishes separate figures for those. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland run their own systems for their own students. Check the GOV.UK student finance page for current rates.
Who Qualifies for Home Fee Status
The first thing to be clear about: home fee status does not come from holding any particular visa. It comes from your immigration status and from where you have been living. The main published categories are:
- Settled status plus 3 years' residence. British or Irish citizenship, indefinite leave to enter or remain, or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, together with ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for the 3 years before the course starts.
- Refugee status, humanitarian protection, stateless status or being a family member of someone with one of these. The residence condition here is living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man since the status was granted, rather than 3 years.
- Long residence. Under 18 and having lived in the UK for at least 7 years, or 18 or over and having lived in the UK for at least 20 years or at least half your life.
- Other categories including settlement granted under the Afghan resettlement schemes, settlement as a victim of domestic violence or as a bereaved partner, family members of UK nationals and of Irish citizens, and section 67 or Calais leave.
Pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme has its own rules, which depend on residence. The university makes the final assessment under the Education (Fees and Awards) Regulations, and GOV.UK has a checker that shows which student finance category a set of facts falls into.
Permissions That Do Not Bring Home Fee Status
Holding one of these does not by itself put you in a home fee category, because none of them is settled status:
- Student visa holders
- Skilled Worker visa holders (and their dependants in most cases)
- Spouse visa holders, until they reach indefinite leave to remain
- Graduate route visa holders
Someone who later gets indefinite leave to remain and also has 3 years of ordinary residence falls into the settled category for courses starting after that point. Note that time in the UK on any of these permissions still counts towards the 3 years of ordinary residence — it is the status that is missing, not the residence.
Funding Options for International Students
- University scholarships: Check each university's international scholarship pages
- Chevening Scholarships: Fully funded UK government scholarships for future leaders
- Commonwealth Scholarships: For nationals of Commonwealth countries
- Country-specific funds: Some governments fund citizens studying abroad
- Part-time work: Student visa holders may be able to work. How many hours depends on the level of the course and on whether it is term time, and the exact limit is stated on the grant of permission. Self-employment and work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach are not allowed. See our student work rights guide
Check GOV.UK for eligibility details.
Postgraduate Fees
Postgraduate fees also differ between home and international students, but there is no government cap on either at postgraduate level, so each university sets and publishes its own. Postgraduate funding works differently from undergraduate student finance, and research degrees are often funded through studentships attached to a particular project or department.
Next Steps
Fee status is assessed by the university, so its admissions or fee status office is the place that gives you the answer for your own facts. GOV.UK has a checker for the student finance side, and each university publishes both its international fee rates and its scholarship deadlines.
Related guides:
Questions and answers
How much more do international students pay?
Home undergraduate fees in England are capped: for the 2026 to 2027 academic year the Tuition Fee Loan covers up to £9,790 a year for a full-time course, or up to £11,750 for an accelerated degree. There is no cap on international fees. Each university sets and publishes its own, and they vary by course, so the only reliable figure is the one on the university's own fees page.
When do I qualify for home fee status?
Home fee status does not come from holding any particular visa. It turns on your immigration status and where you have been living. The main route is settled status — British or Irish citizenship, indefinite leave to enter or remain, or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme — together with 3 years of ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man before the course starts. There are separate categories, including refugee status, humanitarian protection, stateless status and their family members, and a long residence category. The university makes the assessment under the Education (Fees and Awards) Regulations.
Can I change from international to home fees mid-course?
Fee status is assessed by the university, normally at the point of application, and each university publishes its own policy on reassessment part-way through a course. If your immigration status changes during your studies, ask the university how its policy works before assuming either answer.
Are there scholarships for international students?
Yes. Many universities offer scholarships specifically for international students, ranging from partial fee reductions to full scholarships. External scholarships from bodies like Chevening, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, and country-specific funds are also available.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.