Tuition fees by location
In any academic year there are two main costs associated with starting university. These are for tuition fee costs and living costs. Students can apply for government funded loans to assist in meeting these costs.
Tuition fees in Northern Ireland
The maximum tuition fee for Northern Ireland students studying in Northern Ireland in 2012/13 will be £3,465. This fee does not need to be paid upfront. Eligible students will be able to cover the full cost through a tuition fee loan of up to £3,465.
Eligible students should apply through Student Finance NI at their local Education and Library Board.
Students from Northern Ireland studying in England, Scotland or Wales
Students starting courses should check with the relevant institution to find out the fee for the course they want to study. In England and Wales the maximum fee that can be charged is £9,000. It is likely that this will also be the maximum in Scotland.
Eligible students will be able to apply for a maximum loan to cover the cost of the fee charged up to a maximum of £9,000. Tuition fee loans are not means-tested.
There will not be a waiver or grant available to offset the higher amount of fees that will apply outside Northern Ireland. You will be entitled to a maximum tuition fee loan of up to £9,000. However, institutions charging fees may be offering bursaries/scholarships to students from low income backgrounds. You should contact the institution to find out what additional support may be available.
For continuing students in England and Wales, the cost of your tuition fee will remain at its current level plus the annual inflationary uplift. The fee for 2012/13 is £3,465. In Scotland, the cost of your tuition fee will remain at its current level of around £1,820 (£2,895 for medicine degrees).
Students from Northern Ireland studying in the Republic of Ireland
In September 2012, eligible students will have their student registration fee paid by the Department for Employment and Learning. This fee is €2,250. The funding arrangement for the academic year 2013/14 is under review by the Department for Employment and Learning.
If you study in the Republic of Ireland you can apply for a means-tested grant of up to £2,000, which you do not pay back. A maximum loan of up to £4,840 is also available.
Students from England, Scotland or Wales coming to study in Northern Ireland
Students should contact the relevant Higher Education Institution or check the UCAS site to find out more about the fees for the courses that they wish to apply for.
For further information on student support students from England should contact Student Finance England:
Welsh students should contact Student Finance Wales:
Scottish students should contact the Student Awards Agency for Scotland
Students from the Republic of Ireland coming to study in Northern Ireland
If you live in the Republic of Ireland and hope to commence a degree course in Northern Ireland in 2012/13 the maximum fee will be £3,465.
Students from ROI (and other non-UK EU countries) can apply to the Student Finance Services European Team for a loan of up to £3,465 to cover the tuition fee:
- Telephone 0141 243 3570
Fees in other EU Countries
If you live in Northern Ireland and want to study an undergraduate degree course in the EU, outside the UK and ROI you should check with the relevant institution and authorities in the particular country. Under EU law, you should be treated the same as a national from the country you wish to study in and eligible for the same level of fee support where applicable.
The Department for Employment and Learning does not fund any financial support for study outside the UK in any EU country, other than the Republic of Ireland.
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