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Introduction to Fees

Payment of Fees

University and College fees are paid to a student's College, rather than the central University. Please contact your College Accounts office if you have any queries about payment options and timeframes. Fees for current undergraduate and postgraduate students are updated annually and published on the Academic and Financial Planning and Analysis (AFPA) website. 

  • For undergraduate tuition fees and estimates of living costs, visit the Undergraduate Study Fees and Finance page. Colleges provide information about other undergraduate costs, including students loans (via the Student Loan Company), the Cambridge Bursary Scheme, and studying for a second degree. Students receiving financial support are charged in three instalments per year: 25%, 25%, and 50%, aligned with SLC payment schedules.
  • For postgraduate fees, including estimates of living costs, visit the Postgraduate Study Finance page. 

Non-Payment of Fees

University governance on the non-payment of tuition fees is available in Ordinances, Chapter I; the policy and guidance are published in Reporter, 6724, 10 January 2024 (with an important amendment Notice published in Reporter, 6729, 14 February 2024). The full policy and operational documents can be obtained from the University's Fee Policy Manager at feestatusandpolicy@admin.cam.ac.uk.

For students who started their course before the new policy came into effect in January 2025, their usual College or postgraduate admissions procedures for unpaid fees still apply. If the student's full tuition fees have not been paid after following this procedure, the College should email Student Registry at degreecongregations@admin.cam.ac.uk, copying in the University Fee Policy Manager (as mentioned above), to confirm that due to non-payment of fees, the student will not be graduating on their expected date.

Tuition Fee Status

All students offered a place on a UK university degree course have their fee status assessed as part of the admissions process. This status determines the tuition fees you'll pay and the financial support you may be eligible for. If you're offered a place, your fee status will be included in your offer letter or email. 

Your assessment is based on UK Government fee status legislation (see the Legislation section below) and is determined by three main factors:

  1. Your nationality
  2. Your UK immigration status
  3. Where you’ve been ordinarily resident throughout the three years before your course starts

For more details, please use the menu links on the left side of this page.

At the University of Cambridge, undergraduates are assessed by either their College or the central University. For postgraduates, the relevant admissions team handles the assessments. Your fee status will be assessed as one of the following - there are no other options:

  • Home (the regulated fee, capped by the UK government)
  • Home ELQ (if you are applying for an Equivalent Level Qualification to one you already hold)
  • Overseas (which is not capped by the UK Government).

Students not classified as Home will be classified as Overseas. 

Legislation

The University must follow UK Government rules on fee eligibility when making an assessment. The relevant sections of legislation are:

Please note that a student's or offer holder's personal finances (and those of their family) do not affect their fee status. Universities will NOT change a student's fee status if their financial circumstances change. 

Guidance to help students and families understand the legislation is freely available from UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs). This guide is updated regularly. Although all English universities follow the same national fee legislation, each university must carry out its own fee status assessments independently of other institutions, including Student Finance England (SFE). For more information, please visit Student Finance - tuition fees, loans and funding (ucas.com).

How am I assessed?

The appropriate University Admissions Office will determine an applicant’s fee status from the information in their University of Cambridge application. If it's unclear, the applicant will need to submit a Fee Status Assessment Questionnaire to their Admissions Office with supporting documents.

Data Protection

Any data collected from an applicant or current student during their assessment will be managed in accordance with the University’s Data Protection policies. For details on how the University handles applicant data and documents, please refer to the Statement from the University's Information and Compliance Office.

Staff Fee Scheme and Staff Bursary Scheme

Information on the Staff Fee Scheme and forthcoming Staff Bursary Scheme for University postgraduate students employed by the University is available on the Staff Fee Scheme and Staff Bursary Scheme page.​

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