The main costs of university include tuition fees and living costs (such as accommodation, transport, food, etc). If you have been granted any of the above types of status and have been ‘ordinarily’ resident in the UK for 3 years you will likely pay tuition fees at 'home' rate, with a cost of up to £9,250 per academic year. This cost may vary depending on the university and course chosen as some fees are slightly lower. Living costs may vary, depending on where you study, whether you need to pay for accommodation, and other factors.

However, if you have been granted any of the above types of status but have not been 'ordinarily resident' in the UK for three years, you will pay tuition fees at an ‘international/overseas’ rate. This costs may vary depending on university and course chosen, and some fees are significantly higher.

On average, you may need to budget for £1,000 per month (minimum) to cover your living costs. For more help with working out your budget, please visit this resource.

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How much does it cost to go to university?

Yes. The important thing to remember is that, with any of the types of status listed above, you are allowed to go to university. You will likely be charged tuition fees at an ‘international/overseas’ rate and will not be eligible for student finance (the loans from the government that other students can apply for). However, if you have resided in the UK for a long period of time, you may qualify for ‘home’ fee status (and funding) due to long residency.

To be eligible for student finance funding under the long residence category you must be a resident in England on the first day of the first academic year of your course, hold one of the above types of status and have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands throughout the three-year period immediately before the first day of the first academic year of your course. You must also be either:

under 18 years old having lived in the UK for at least 7 years before the first day of the first academic year of your course; or aged 18 years and above having either spent at least half your life in the UK or at least 20 years in the UK prior to the first day of the first academic year of your course.

Let Us Learn provides useful information about the long residence category. You can also check out the guidelines on fee regulations at UKCISA.

See below for more information about how to pay for university.

For more detailed information about access to higher education for young refugees and migrants, see the Migrant Children’s Project’s page about this topic.