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Paying your fees as an international student

Tuition costs and different ways to pay

How much you pay in tuition fees as an international student depends on whether your course is based in classrooms, laboratories or both, and whether your course includes a placement year. You can find out what you'll pay on your course page. If you're an EU student, read our Tuition fees and scholarships for EU students page

The following are typical tuition fee figures for international students for the next three years. If you take a placement year, you only pay the nominal placement year fee.

Academic Year Fee Placement year fee
2024/25 £17,200 – £19,200 £1,900 – £19,200
2025/26 £17,200 – £19,200 £1,900 – £19,200

For courses starting from September 2024/25, following a review of the international fee policy, the tuition fee will be fixed for the duration of that course at the University*. Please note that conditions apply and the tuition fees may be subject to a maximum inflationary rise of 6% per annum.

*This does not apply to courses studied at our partner institutions where a different fee policy applies - please check with the partner institution for details. 

Tuition fee reduction

If you're seeking sanctuary, you're usually classed as an international student for tuition fee and student finance purposes, even if you've lived in the UK for a long time.

We apply a tuition fee reduction for people seeking sanctuary. This means you do not have to pay a tuition fee deposit and you pay the same fees as home (UK) students. In order for the reduction to be applied, you will need to email photos of both sides of your Applicant Registration Card (ARC) to scholarships@port.ac.uk. Please state 'Sanctuary tuition fee reduction' and your applicant/student ID in the email subject line.

How to pay your tuition fees

If you are a new student (joining from October 2021 onwards) you can pay using your Applicant View - the online account that is set up when you apply to study with us.

Applicant View has several payment options. You can pay online via Flywire or arrange to pay in person using a credit or debit card.

If you are a current student (who joined before October 2021) please visit ways to pay.

If someone else is paying your fees you can send them the payment link found on your Applicant View.

The University is cashless. Please do not bring cash to pay your fees as this will not be accepted.

Paying via Flywire

The University of Portsmouth has officially partnered with Flywire to accept payments from over 240 countries and territories, in more than 130 currencies.

Millions of students and their parents world-wide trust Flywire to facilitate their education payments. 

By making your payment using Flywire you can:

  • Pay by credit or debit card, bank transfer or by e-wallet.
  • Pay from any country or bank in your local currency.
  • Avoid bank fees and extra charges.
  • Be guaranteed the best exchange rate when making a bank transfer using Flywire. If you find a better rate within two hours, Flywire will match it.
  • Track your payment in real-time online and receive email and text alerts each step of the way, including a confirmation your payment has been securely delivered to the University of Portsmouth.
  • Get 24/7 multilingual support with any questions you have about making your payment from Flywire’s expert team. You can give them a call, send an email, or use live chat online.
  • Flywire has a robust anti-money laundering program so you can feel confident in the security of your payment. 

When you click through to pay your fees via Student View, and choose to pay via Flywire. Please select the 'International Bank Transfer in GBP' option to get the preferential rate.

Pay via Flywire

How Flywire works

There’s no doubt that at some point you’ve had to make an important payment through a digital platform. 

And you would expect paying for things to be easy.

However many organisations have complex, time consuming and confusing payment experiences. 

At flywire, we make the experience for you to pay simple, transparent and fast. 

We help you find the best way to complete the most important and complex payments, all in one convenient platform. 

Flywire simplifies complex bank transfers and helps you navigate international exchange rates. 

We’re partnered with leading banks and financial institutions around the globe so transactions and seamless. 

And we offer familiar and local payment options available to you, so you can choose the best method to complete your payment. 

Your money will reach its destination quickly and securely. 

We know people need to be able to navigate today’s globalised world without letting borders dictate the way they pay. And we’re taking this on industry by industry to digitise the payment experience for organisations across education, healthcare, travel and B2B. To help you make some of life’s most important payments - like tuition and medical care. 

More than two thousand organisations trust flywire to securely process and deliver on their mission-critical payments today.

No matter where you are in the world, we’re here to deliver on the more important and complex payments.

Deposits

Once you receive an offer from us, you can pay your fees in full if you wish. You will need to pay a deposit to confirm your place. The deposit will count towards your tuition fees.

You can use Applicant View to pay your deposit either online via Flywire or in person.

Once you have paid your deposit and met the other conditions of your offer, we will send you a Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) document. You will need this for your visa

The earliest you can receive your CAS is three months before the start of your course.

You do not have to pay a deposit if:

  • You are a UK or Irish national
  • You are sponsored by your government or a company in your region – you'll need to provide evidence to Student Administration Services, feeenquiries@port.ac.uk
  • You are from the USA and will receive a Federal/Sallie Mae Direct Loan
  • You will be doing a distance learning course
  • You are coming on an Exchange programme
  • You are joining us from International College Portsmouth (ICP)
  • You are an alumnus or alumna of the University and are continuing directly to a postgraduate course without any gap in studies
  • You choose not take up your place at the University

You may be able to get a refund of your deposit under certain circumstances. Please check the tuition fee policy for further information. If you need to apply for a refund please contact globaladmissions@port.ac.uk.

Halls of residence deposit

If you are staying in our halls of residence, you will also need to pay a £250 deposit. You should not pay this until you have received your accommodation offer from our Student Housing Team. Your accommodation offer will include instructions on how to pay.

When you leave the accommodation at the end of your contract, the deposit will be refunded into the account it came from. Please note, your deposit will only be returned after all your fees have been paid, you have returned your keys and a satisfactory room check has been completed by your hall manager.

If you are late in paying accommodation fees, you will receive letters and emails requesting you pay the outstanding funds. If you ignore these, you are at risk of being evicted from your halls of residence.

Instalments

You can choose to pay your tuition fees in full or in two separate instalments.

If you choose to pay in instalments, you will pay 50% of the total cost at registration minus any deposit or prepayment you have already paid. Students starting in October will pay their second instalment when they return from the winter break. Students starting in January will pay their second instalment when they return from the spring break.

Invoices

We will not send you an invoice for your fees, however once you have registered, you will be able to view the fees and payments online. You will also be able to download and print your invoice if you wish. If you receive an invoice claiming to be from the University, do not reply to it. Instead, please forward it to income@port.ac.uk so we can check if it is valid.

Non-payment of tuition fees

If you do not pay your tuition fee by the due date of your invoice, we will send you a reminder. If you fail to respond to reminder emails, a ‘Withdrawal of Service’ will be applied to your record. This restricts your access to University services such as Moodle, the Library and Wi-Fi. 

If you do not pay your tuition fee within four teaching weeks of losing your services, you will be excluded from your course. If you are excluded, you are no longer considered a student of the University. You will not be permitted to attend lectures, or continue to use the University services or facilities.

Scams and fraud

Students, especially international students, are particularly vulnerable of falling victim to fraudsters when paying their university fees. Online and telephone financial fraud is on the rise and often, fraudsters will offer significant discounts, incentives, or attractive exchange rates to encourage students to use these methods of payments. Please remember that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. The University of Portsmouth does not offer any incentives for payment via a third party.

Tuition and accommodation fees should always be paid directly to the University of Portsmouth, preferably through SITS applicant view or student view. Students should never give their log in details to anyone else, especially if that person is offering to pay fees on their behalf. The most common scams to look out for include: 

  • Fee payment scams: This is where an external third-party agent claims to make a payment on the student’s behalf. Students can also be approached by a fraudster and/or another student either in person or via social media. They will offer to provide help to pay tuition fees. The fraudster will pay the tuition fee using stolen bank or, debit/credit card details. However, when the genuine cardholder reports this, the funds are recalled leaving the tuition fee unpaid. 
  • Another example includes where the fraudster will appear to have made a successful payment by sending you a copy of the receipt showing the full payment made. In reality, all they have done is made a successful £1 payment using a stolen debit/credit card and then altered the receipt to make it seem like they have paid the tuition fees in full. 
  • Money muling: the ‘money mule’ trap involves students being offered payment in exchange for receiving money temporarily into their bank account. Students will then be asked to withdraw the cash or to transfer it on to another account. This type of scam is on the increase, targeting students who are short of cash and who may be tempted by offers to make ‘easy money’ on job search or social media websites.

Losing money on tuition fees can have serious consequences. Money Laundering is a serious criminal offence and if the University is informed of, or suspects, fraudulent payment activity, it will take appropriate action in accordance with its Anti Money Laundering Policy. In circumstances of payment fraud, be it wittingly, or unwittingly, the University reserves the right to reject an application, withdraw a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) or de-register a student from the course without further recourse from the student.

Advice for students:

  • Be mindful of ongoing scams,
  • Always use the University’s approved payment routes www.port.ac.uk/about-us/ways-to-pay,
  • Ask for a number to call back. Usually, a fraudster will never give out their details. Do not share anything over the phone. Do not share your bank account, credit or debit card details, with anyone. Your bank will never ask for full details over the phone, like the PIN, neither will the University. 
  • Do not share your University login details with anyone, especially on social media with strangers or any third-party agent.
  • If in doubt, or if you have any questions about payment options, contact our friendly Income team directly by email at any time via income@port.ac.uk, or by calling +44 (0) 23 9284 5533 Monday to Thursday between 10.00am - 4.00pm or Fridays between 10.00am - 3.00pm. 
  • Be cautious of offers of easy money or discounts. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The University doesn’t offer discounts on tuition fees outside of those listed on our international bursaries and scholarships webpage. Beware of favourable exchange rates provided by unsolicited agents.
  • Do not feel pressurised to transfer the money to an unknown individual.

For further guidance please see the action fraud website.

If you or your appointed third party is found to have made a fake/fraudulent payment, the University will hold you responsible and take disciplinary actions against you which may result in your immediate de-registration from the course. We strongly advise that payments on your account are either made by yourself or an immediate trust-worthy member of family and not by an unknown third party. The University is not responsible for any financial loss to any student as a result of fraudulent activity.