Are you thinking of studying in the UK but unsure how much you will be required to pay? We can provide information about home and overseas fees and how much your fees are likely to be.

In most English speaking coutries you need to pay to attend Higher Education Institutions.The basic charge at UK universities are the tuition fees which cover the cost of instruction and other academic services. The level of fee you will have to pay depends on whether you are regarded as a "home" student or an "overseas" student. Home student fees for Bachelor Degrees are repeated by the UK government, while fees for postgraduate courses and overseas student fees are set by the individual institutions, and can therefore vary significantly.

Who pays the home student fee?

EU nationals and british students pay home fee. The amount is determined by the Department for Education and Skills, and is the same regardless of institution and subject of study. The home fee is currently set at £1150 per academic year for undergraduate courses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland you do not pay tuition fees up front but contribute towards a Graduate Endowment Fund after you have completed your studies.

Precise details of tuition fees and other expenses at postgraduate level are only available from the institution concerned. Each university sets its own postgraduate tuition fees annually, and you should always contact the institutions directly to obtain the most recent tuition fee rates. Each university decides independently whether it wishes to follow the recommended tuition fee for full-time postgraduate studies issued annually by the Department for Education and Skills.

Who pays the overseas student fee?

Students from countries outside the EU have to pay an unsubsidised tuition fee, which covers all the costs associated with being a student at a UK higher education institution. This fee is considerably higher than the Home fee. Norway is not a member of the EU, and as a Norwegian citizen you will therefore be considered as an overseas student. How much you will pay varies from institution to institution and depending on what course you choose to study. As you see below there is however an exception to this rule.

Typical overseas course fee per academic year at undergraduate level:
Arts £6,250 to £7,650
Science £6,500 to £9,700
Clinical £6,960 to £18,000

Typical overseas course fee per academic year at postgraduate level:
Arts £6,750 to £8,200
Science £6,500 to £9,950
Clinical £6,200 to £17,400

To find out what your course fee will be in Norwegian kroner, visit Aftenposten's valutakalkulator for today's exchange rate.

Is it possible for me as a Norwegian citizen to pay the home fee?

You may qualify for home fee status if you meet the following two conditions:

1. You must be a national of an EU country, or the child of an EU national.
2. You must have lived within the European Economic Area (EØS), of which Norway is a member, for the last three years prior to the start of the first academic year of your degree.

In the home/EU fee category all students have to be 'means tested' for their fees. The Department for Education and Skills in England and Wales, the Scottish Executive or the Department of Education for Northern Ireland will assess your family income and thereby your ability to pay fees.

If you meet the criteria for the home fee rate in England and Wales you have to fill in an 02(E) eligibility form in addition to your UCAS form. It is important when completing your UCAS form that you apply as a home fee student.

If you are a Norwegian citizen who meets the home fee criterias (child of an EU national and having lived in the EEA 3 years previous to your course) you still have to fill in the 02(E) eligibility form to have your status confirmed.

You can download a copy of the 02(E) eligibility form from the Department for Education and Skills website.

The institutions or the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) send out eligibility forms to students when an offer of a place (either conditional or unconditional). This form should be completed and returned to the DfES and not to the institution. If you have an offer of a place and have not received a form by the end of April, you should contact the institution concerned in the first instance.

If you are applying to an institution in Scotland, you need to fill in an SAS5 form, which you can get either from the institution directly or by downloading the application forms from the Students Awards Agency for Scotland.

Further Information

UKCOSA - The Council for International Students (information sheets available to download includes "Fees and Financial Support" and "EEA Students"). http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/pages/advice.htm

Statens Lånekasse for Utdanning (The Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund) www.lanekassen.no

DfES and how to apply for help with tuition fees (England and Wales)
www.dfee.gov.uk/support/eus.htm

DfES EU team
www.dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport/eustudents

The Scottish Executive
www.scotland.gov.uk

Department for Education for Northern Ireland (DENI)
www.deni.gov.uk