Application fee waiver

As part of the University's commitment to widening access, some applicants may be exempt from paying the application fee, under one of the schemes below. 

Application fee waiver deadlines

Please allow at least 10 working days for the assessment of your application fee waiver request. If you do not allow sufficient time, we cannot guarantee to process your request in time for you to meet your course/funding application deadline.

If you intend to apply for funding you must apply for your application fee waiver by:

• 24 November 2023 for the 5 December 2023 funding deadline
• 20 December 2023 for the 4 January 2024 funding deadline

How to request an application fee waiver

Eligible applicants should start an application to study, and submit the  application fee waiver request form and supporting documentation before submitting their application. The request form includes full instructions on how to submit the form and what supporting documents are required.

Who is eligible to request an application fee waiver?

UK applicants from low-income households

Prospective students from the UK are eligible to request an application fee waiver in either of the following circumstances.

• they can evidence that they were in receipt of full state support for maintenance as an undergraduate in their final year at a UK university within the last 4 years (ie during or after the 2020/21 academic year)
• they were not a student in the 2022/23 academic year and are in receipt (when making the request) of either Income support, Income-based jobseekers allowance, Income-based employment support allowance, Pension credit guarantee credit or Universal credit (UC)

Applicants with asylum seeker, refugee or humanitarian protection status

Applicants who are able to evidence they have a valid Asylum Registration Card or Biometric Residence Permit are eligible to request an application fee waiver.

For more information on University support for refugees, please visit our Refugee Hub.

Automatic application fee waiver

If you meet the eligibility criteria in one of the following categories, the application fee will be waived automatically when you submit your application and no further action is required. You are NOT required to complete a fee waiver request form.

International applicants from eligible countries

International applicants from the countries listed below are automatically eligible for an application fee waiver. Applicants should be a national of the country and have lived there since birth.

These countries are identified as least developed countries or with political reasons, using data from the United Nations, The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank:

Applications to the Postgraduate School of Life Sciences

The Postgraduate School of Life Sciences has a scheme that enables three applications to be made with payment of a single application fee. A list of eligible courses and further information can be found on the Fee for Life Science courses page.

Mastercard Foundation African Scholars Programme

The application fee will be automatically waived for applicants for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars programme. Please visit the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme for more information and instructions on how to apply.