Look up 2025/26 tuition fees
Check how much your tuition fees cost for the 2025/26 academic year.
Privately funded students
Under the University regulations, all tuition fees are due in full at the start of each academic year or at the start of your course, whichever is the later.
For September Starters:
Option 1: You can pay the full tuition fee invoice by registration in September.
Option 2: Pay in two 50% instalments:
- 1st due by registration in September
- 2nd on or before 1 December (that academic year)
For January Starters:
Option 1: You can pay the full tuition fee invoice by registration in January.
Option 2: Pay in two 50% instalments:
- 1st due by registration in January
- 2nd on or before 1 April (that academic year)
Student Loans Company (SLC)
Undergraduate students
If you are an undergraduate student and your fees are being paid for by a Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) from the Student Loans Company (SLC), you do not need to arrange payment.
Your TFL will get paid directly to the University from SLC, in termly instalments. The University will receive 25% in the first term, 25% in the second term, and 50% in the third term. The exact payment dates will be on your 'University or College Payment Advice' letter from SLC. Please keep this letter to hand in case we need to see it.
If you would like to apply for a TFL from SLC, but have not yet done so, please visit the GOV.UK pages for further information.
Postgraduate students
If you have applied for a Postgraduate Loan from the Student Loans Company (SLC) payment will be made directly to the bank account you have provided to them. If you intend to use this to pay your tuition fees, you will be expected to pay in 3 equal instalments on dates that are in line with your loan disbursement dates.
A payment plan should be set up via our online web payment system, select Postgraduate with SLC Loan from the drop down. When required you will need to select the “instalments” option. Enter the total tuition fee you are liable to pay and the card details you would like the payments to come from.
Please note that online instalment plans will need to be renewed and set up at the start of each new academic year if your course is more than one year duration.
For January starters please get in touch with us. The teams can then arrange your payments as the above link will not have the dates for Postgraduate Loans starting in January.
Sponsored students
If your fees are being paid by a sponsor, they must be a private company or other organisation who will be paying the University direct on receipt of an invoice. They cannot be a parent/relative or an organisation that is paying you direct; these are private funding arrangement between individuals.
When invited to complete your financial registration you will need to upload a financial guarantee letter on headed paper from your sponsor, confirming the following:
- The student’s full name and date of birth
- The student’s Kent ID number
- Course
- How much the sponsor is funding them by
If your sponsor requires a PO number to pay your fees, please obtain this in advance to avoid payment delays. Please upload the paperwork when completing registration.
You will also be required to complete a form confirming the billing details for your sponsor, as these can differ from the details on your guarantee letter. Please check with your sponsor before completing this form.
Students sponsored by Embassies or governmental departments need to keep their original documentation safe, as it may be required by the Income office at a later stage to supply to your Embassy.
Students who choose not to take out student loans
The University of Kent understand some students may choose not to take out a student loan for tuition fees or maintenance support due to religious reasons, due to the interest that is added to the repayments which may be considered as Sharia non-compliant.
The Department of Education have been working with the National Union of Students UK (NUS) and Federation of Student Islamic societies to work towards a Sharia compliant funding system. It will be known as alternative student finance. Alternative student finance will be available for any undergraduate students who are eligible for student finance.
Alternative student finance will form part of the changes to the whole student finance system. From the academic year 2026 to 2027, the government are introducing a more flexible student finance system called the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE). As alternative student finance needs to mirror the LLE, alternative student finance will be introduced once LLE is in place.
All students should carefully plan for studying a degree. Tuition fees for most undergraduate courses are currently £9,535 per year. In addition to this, you will need to plan for living costs including rent for at least 39 weeks of term (longer for some courses) and money for essentials like food, books, travel, clothing and bills.
Students starting 2025/26
For students starting in 2025/26 who do not wish to take out a student loan/maintenance through the Student Loans Company, you may find these external alternative funding providers useful, some of which offer Sharia compliant banking for students
Please be aware that each organisation will have its own eligibility criteria and limits. The University of Kent does not have a partnership with any of these and cannot provide any support or guarantees for this funding.
Still unsure? Get in touch
If you have any questions about paying your tuition fees, please get in touch with us.