Study in the UK in 2026: what it costs and how to fund it

Why study in the UK ?

UK universities are consistently ranked among the world's best, with a strong reputation for teaching and research across master's, MBA and PhD programmes. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, 4 of the world's top 10 universities are based in the UK.

Their research holds up too. In the UK's most recent national research assessment, REF2021, 41% of research submitted by 157 universities was rated world-leading and a further 43% internationally excellent — with world-leading research found at 99% of participating universities.

For many aspiring master's students, it's not your potential that's in question. It's finding the funds. With Prodigy Finance, you can apply for an international student loan with no co-signer or collateral required, so the cost doesn't have to hold you back. Our borderless education model can help you finance your tuition at many of the UK's top universities.

What about the money?

Of everything on your list, this is the part that worries people most. So let's take it in order. You'll prove your money twice. Once to your university, and once to the Home Office.

Your university comes first. Most ask for a tuition deposit before they'll issue your CAS, the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies. Without a CAS you can't apply for your UK student visa at all.What about the money?

Of everything on your list, this is the part that worries people most. Not the coursework, not the flight — the funding.

And you prove it twice. First to your university, with a tuition deposit before they'll issue your CAS. Then to the Home Office, who want to see you can cover what's left of your tuition, plus your living costs, before they'll grant your visa.

Neither step is complicated once you know the rules - but the rules are specific, and small mistakes are what trip people up. That's what the rest of this section covers: what you need to show, how much, and exactly when.

If you're funding your master's with a loan, read this closely. The figures below are what you'll need to plan around.

The CAS deposit

Before a UK university will issue your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, most want a tuition deposit. It's not an extra charge - it comes off your tuition at enrolment and it's usually non-refundable. Amounts are set institution by institution and vary more than students expect. The deposit is often the single largest sum you commit before you have a visa.

The 28-day maintenance rule

Once you have the CAS, the visa asks for money in the bank. You must show any outstanding tuition on your CAS, plus living costs capped at 9 months. For applications submitted on or after 30 November 2026 that's £1,570 a month for a London course or £1,203 a month outside London. Apply before that date and the older figures — £1,529 and £1,171 — still apply. The cut-off is the date you submit, not the date your course starts, so a 2027 intake applying early falls under the lower amounts.

The rule that catches people out is the timing, not the amount. The balance must stay at or above the required level for 28 consecutive days, and the statement must be dated no more than 31 days before you submit and pay for the online application. One dip below the figure on a single day resets the whole 28 days.

UKVI only accepts cash held in a regulated bank or building society account, in your name or a parent's or legal guardian's. Property, gold, mutual funds, PPF, shares and crypto don't count. Funds held in another currency are converted at the published rate on the date of application, so exchange-rate movement alone can create a shortfall.

What most people miss

The maintenance figure is for money you still owe. Every pound of tuition you've already paid, and that appears on your CAS, comes off the total you must evidence. Accommodation paid directly to your university sponsor can be offset too, but only up to one month's maintenance for your location: £1,570 (London) or £1,203 (outside London) from 30 November 2026, £1,529 or £1,171 before it. Paying more than that doesn't create a bigger deduction, and payments to a private landlord don't count at all.

A student who pays a larger deposit isn't just spending earlier — they're also cutting the amount they have to hold for 28 days. That's exactly the gap a loan can help close, on top of the tuition itself.

Common mistakes

• Letting the balance dip below the required figure once during the 28 days. It resets the clock entirely.

• Counting the 28 days to the biometrics appointment rather than to the date you submit and pay for the online application.

• Budgeting on an outdated figure. The amount changes on 30 November 2026, and is reviewed annually from then on.

• Assuming a part-time job counts. It doesn't — UKVI wants the money shown before it issues the visa.

• Paying deposits at two universities to keep options open. Most are non-refundable.

• Using funds held by an uncle, sibling or family friend. Only you, a parent or a legal guardian qualifies.

• Forgetting that a paid deposit only counts as a deduction if it's shown on your CAS — and under-evidencing as a result.

Sources: GOV.UK, financial evidence for Student route applicants; Statement of Changes HC 584, 3 September 2026

The Graduate route lets you stay and work in the UK after your degree without a job offer or a sponsor. It currently runs for 2 years for bachelor's and master's graduates. From 1 January 2027 it drops to 18 months. PhD and doctoral graduates keep 3 years either way.

What decides which you get is the date you apply for the Graduate visa, not when you start or finish your course.

In practice, a one-year master's starting September 2026 finishes in autumn 2027, which lands after the cut-off. Students planning around a two-year Graduate route need to know that.

Two adjacent changes worth naming, since they sometimes get reported as though they were the same thing:

• Confirmed: B2 English will be required for indefinite leave to remain across most routes from 26 March 2027.

• Confirmed: a levy on international student fees at English universities, reported at £925 per student, from August 2028. Whether universities pass it on is not yet known.

• Proposed, not law: extending the standard qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain from 5 years to 10. This is not settled and should not be treated as confirmed.

Sources: GOV.UK, Graduate visa; UKVI Statement of Changes HC 1333, 14 October 2025; HC 1691, 5 March 2026; UKCISA.

There is no standard international fee in the UK. Every university sets its own, course by course, and the spread inside a single institution can be wider than the spread between institutions. The British Council puts international postgraduate tuition at £9,000 to £30,000. The Complete University Guide's 2026 analysis found taught master's fees running from under £12,000 to over £60,000.

Tuition: what you'll pay, and where

Monthly living costs

The visa minimum sits at the bottom of the realistic range, not the middle. Plan for more than UKVI asks for. The choice of city also moves your total budget more than the choice of university moves your tuition: the same room costs thousands more over a university-year contract in central London than in a smaller city.

One-off costs to budget for

Sources: British Council, Study UK; Complete University Guide, 2026; Save the Student National Student Accommodation Survey 2026; GOV.UK, Immigration Health Surcharge.

Since 2007, we've backed international students from over 120 countries who had the ambition to study abroad but not the family property. That's our model. We lend on your future instead. Prodigy Finance international student loans are built for master's students heading abroad.

We lend on what you'll earn, not on property or a co-signer. Our student loans cover CAS deposit reclaim, tuition and living expenses up to USD $220,000*, with interest rates from 10.75%*. No collateral, no co-signer required.*

For studying in the UK, the order is what catches families out. Your deposit is due before you have your UK student visa. Your maintenance has to be in the account before the Home Office will grant one. A Prodigy Finance loan doesn't just pay your tuition. It closes that gap.

Already paid your deposit? If you're applying for a Prodigy Finance loan, you may be able to request a loan increase to cover it.

Here's how:

1. During your application, request a loan increase to cover the deposit you've paid to your university.

2. If approved, the amount is added to your living expenses allocation, not your tuition.

3. Once your course starts, it's paid to you as part of your regular living expense payments.

A few things to note:

• The minimum request is USD $1,000

• The amount can cover up to 50% of your tuition cost

• It follows your existing living expenses schedule

• Subject to standard eligibility criteria*

Where do I start with applying to a masters in the UK?

1. Check your loan eligibility early. You don't need an offer to do it.

2. Apply to universities. Postgraduate applications go direct to each institution, not through UCAS.

3. Accept your offer and pay the tuition deposit. Nothing else can start until this clears. Allow up to 10 working days at some universities.

4. Complete your loan application once you have your unconditional offer.

5. Get your CAS issued. It can only be issued within 6 months of your course start date.

6. Start the 28-day clock on your maintenance funds, and don't touch the account.

7. Apply for the visa and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge in full.

For a taught master's you will normally need a bachelor's degree comparable to a UK 2:1, proof of English, and a statement of purpose. Postgraduate applications go direct to each university rather than through UCAS, and each sets its own deadline. Many competitive programmes close months before the intake, and some operate rolling admissions that fill up early.

What you will need

• A bachelor's degree equivalent to a UK 2:1 or above. Some universities publish country-specific equivalences.

• Official transcripts from every institution attended, with certified translations if not in English

• Proof of English proficiency, where your programme requires it

• A statement of purpose or personal statement

• Usually one or two academic or professional references

• GMAT or GRE for some business and management programmes, increasingly optional, so check the programme page rather than assuming

• ATAS clearance for certain sensitive-technology programmes. Your CAS cannot be issued until it is granted

Your timeline for a September 2027 start

Sources: Chevening; Commonwealth Scholarship Commission; GOV.UK, Student visa; university admissions pages, checked 8 September 2026.

Wondering if your school is supported? Prodigy Finance supports a wide range of UK universities, across STEM, business and other fields. New schools get added regularly, so it's worth checking the full list.

Often, yes. There is no single UK-wide English requirement for postgraduate study. Each university sets its own, and many will waive an English test if your bachelor's degree was taught and assessed in English. What you cannot do is skip proving language ability altogether.

A university waiving its English test is not the same as UKVI waiving the visa requirement. Where a course is below degree level, or the university is not a Student sponsor with the relevant status, a Secure English Language Test may still be needed. For degree-level study at a licensed sponsor, the university assesses English and confirms it on your CAS. Check both, not just the university.

You apply for the Student visa, the route formerly called Tier 4, from outside the UK, after your university issues your CAS. It costs £558, plus £776 a year for the Immigration Health Surcharge, paid in full upfront. You can apply up to 6 months before your course starts.

The documents you will need

• Valid passport

• Your CAS reference number from your university

• Proof of funds: outstanding tuition plus the maintenance amount for your study location, held for 28 consecutive days

• Evidence of English proficiency, or confirmation on your CAS that your university has assessed it

• Academic transcripts and degree certificates

• TB test certificate, if you are from a listed country

• ATAS certificate, for certain sensitive-technology programmes

• Parental consent and relationship evidence, if you are relying on a parent's funds

Sources: GOV.UK, Student visa; documents you must provide; Immigration Health Surcharge.

Yes. Students on a Student visa studying a full-time degree-level course can work up to 20 hours a week during term time and full time during official university breaks, including the period after your course ends and before your visa expires.

Your visa decision letter or digital immigration status confirms your exact permissions, and they are not the same for everyone. Some courses and some sponsors restrict work entirely. Exceeding the limit is a breach of your visa conditions, not a technicality. You cannot be self-employed, work as a professional sportsperson, or take a permanent full-time role on a Student visa.

Part-time work will help with your monthly costs. It will not satisfy the proof of funds requirement. UKVI wants to see the money before it issues the visa, not a plan to earn it afterwards.

Source: GOV.UK, Student visa.

Yes, on the Graduate route covered above. From there, most people switch to a Skilled Worker visa, which needs an employer holding a sponsor licence.

The Graduate route is generous by international standards and it is getting shorter. A student borrowing against UK earnings should know that 18 months is the window they will actually have for anyone applying from 2027 onward, and that the Skilled Worker step depends on an employer, not on them.

Source: GOV.UK, Graduate visa.

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*Loan and promotion offers are subject to our eligibility, funding, and credit assessment criteria.

*Loan amounts are subject to the cost of attendance limits set by schools.

*The purpose of this guide is to provide prospective students with a general overview of the international student visa process and should not be regarded as legal or immigration advice, or as a substitute for official guidance from government authorities, embassies, or consular offices. While we’ve taken care to compile accurate and up-to-date information, Prodigy Finance Limited does not accept liability for any inaccuracies, omissions, or outdated details. We strongly encourage all prospective students and readers to consult the official government websites and immigration authorities relevant to their study destination for the most accurate and current information. Prodigy Finance Limited is not authorised to provide immigration services and cannot offer personalised visa advice or assistance.