Tuition fees

Work out your fee status

Before you can work out how much you will pay for your programme, you need to know what your fee status is.

What is a fee status?

Your fee status determines how much you will pay in tuition fees. It is based on your nationality and where you are ‘ordinarily resident’. 

Your fee status is not confirmed until after you apply for admission and is assessed based on the information that is provided in your application. We will then contact you should we require further information. 

Once you start studying, your fee status applies for your entire programme and cannot be changed even if your circumstances change or the fee status criteria change. 

Undergraduate

For undergraduate degrees, fee status is divided into:

  • Scotland Rate of Fee consisting of: 
    • Scotland Fee Rate 
    • EU-EEA Pre/Settled Scotland Fee Rate
  • RUK Rate of Fee consisting of:  
    • England, Wales and Northern Ireland Fee Rate (RUK)
    • Republic of Ireland Fee Rate (ROI)
  • International Rate of Fee consisting of: 
    • EU-EEA Overseas Fee Rate
    • Overseas Fee Rate
  • Graduate Entry (Veterinary Medicine and LLB Ordinary)
    • applicants who already hold a degree level qualification

Postgraduate

For postgraduate degrees, fee status is divided into:

  • Home Fee Rate consisting of the below three fee rates:
    • Scotland Fee Rate
    • England, Wales and Northern Ireland Fee Rate (Rest of the UK) 
    • Republic of Ireland Fee Rate (ROI) 
  • EU-EEA Pre/Settled Scotland Fee Rate
  • EU-EEA Overseas
  • Overseas/International
  • Online Learning
    • all online learning students pay the same rate

EU, EEA and Swiss students 

The UK left the EU on 31st December 2020. After this date, the fee status of new students from, or currently living in, the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, will depend on: 

  • your nationality 

  • where you live 

  • how long you have lived there 

  • if you have settled or pre-settled status in the UK 

If you started your degree before 31 December 2020, your fee status will stay the same for the duration of your studies.  

Fee status levels for EU students

SAAS Eligibility 

Each University within Scotland is responsible for making their own fee status assessments within their legislative frameworks. The regulations by which SAAS defines a 'home' student for funding, may differ form how the University of Edinburgh chooses to define a home student for tuition fee purposes. 

Undergraduate Programme Changes - Current EU Nationals

If you are a non-Irish EU national currently on programme, and are changing course from session 2021-22 onwards, your fee status will be re-assessed using the new Scottish Government Regulations (The Education (Fees and Student Support) (EU Exit) (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (legislation.gov.uk))

If you were awarded EU tuition fees prior to session 2021-22, you will need to provide evidence of your pre-settled or settled status granted through the EU Settlement Scheme in order to retain this fee level. 

If you have been awarded SAAS funding, please see their webpages for further information Student Awards Agency Scotland - SAAS - Funding Your Future

If you have not been granted pre-settled or settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme, your fee status is likely to be re-assessed as EU/International.

Support for Undergraduate Ukrainian Students

If you're Ukrainian and settling in Scotland, you could be eligible for tuition and living cost support. The support covers further or higher education courses from the 2022-2023 academic year.  Please see SAAS for further details.

Support for Postgraduate Ukrainian Students

Please see SAAS - Support for Ukrainian Students  - Section 8 for further details.

Current fee status regulations

If you are unsure about what your fee status is and our guidance pages are not relevant to your situation, visit the UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) website for information on the current fee status regulations.  

Check the fee status guidance for studying in Scotland on the UKCISA website

Learn what the fee status terms mean 

Our definition list provides the meanings of terms you will find on the UKCISA website. 

Definitions of fee status terms 

After you apply 

Your fee status is not confirmed until after you apply for admission. 

If there is not enough information in your application to work out what your fee status is, we will ask you to complete a fee status questionnaire. 

Confirming your fee status after you apply