Tuition fee deposits for international postgraduate taught students

The standard tuition fee deposit for 2025/6 entry is £3,000.

If you're applying to the Hull York Medical School and your course will be based at the University of Hull you will need to pay a deposit to the University of Hull.

If you reside in Ghana, the tuition fee deposit for 2025/6 is £12,000.

Will I need to pay a deposit?

You will usually need to pay a tuition fee deposit if you:

• have applied for a taught postgraduate course (MA, MSc, PG Dip, PG Cert or MRes) and
• require a student visa to study in the UK.

Exemptions

You will not be required to pay a deposit if you are:

• an international applicant who does not require a Student Visa
• an applicant progressing from a University of York International Pathway College Foundation or Pre-Masters course
• an applicant progressing from a University of York International Pathway College English language pre-sessional programme
• an applicant for a visiting student programme
• an applicant for a distance learning or online programme
• an applicant for a higher or degree apprenticeship programme
• an applicant for MA Women's and Gender Studies (GEMMA) programme
• an applicant for MA Public Policy (Mundus MAPP) programme
• an applicant for York-Maastricht programmes, PGCE programmes, MA in Social Work and programmes where the application is made through UCAS or the Department for Education (DfE)

If you are receiving funding for your studies, you may not need to pay a deposit if you:

• can provide evidence that your tuition fees are fully or partly funded by a recognised third-party sponsor, as determined by the University, for example, a government agency, employer, charity or university (not family or friends)
• can provide evidence that you are on a recognised scholarship programme that will cover some or all of your tuition fee
• will be receiving a US Direct loan or Sallie Mae loan, equal or greater in value to the deposit you are required to pay.

If this applies to you, you’ll need to submit evidence of your funding as soon as possible via the Deposit Exemption document slot.

We aim to send you our decision by email within 14 working days.

When do I pay?

Deposit payments may be made at any time after accepting a conditional offer.

Please make sure your payment is made in good time to ensure the amount has cleared by the deposit deadline. If you’re unsure how long your payment will take to clear please contact your bank. 

The deadline to pay your deposit for 2025/26 entry is 11.59pm BST on 3 September 2025. 

Your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) will not be issued until you have met all conditions of your offer.

Paying the deposit before you have met all conditions of your offer will not prioritise your application in any way nor will it guarantee that you will meet all your conditions and progress to the University of York.

Requesting your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

You can request your CAS and pay the deposit at any time after accepting your offer.

• Find out more about Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

How do I pay?

The deposit payment can be made online through the ‘Your Student visa’ section in You@York as part of the CAS request form. You will have a choice of payment methods, including by debit or credit card or bank transfer.

• More information about payment options

Transfers to other courses

If you transfer to another course, we'll apply your deposit towards your new course fee.

Deferrals

If you defer to the next academic year, we'll hold your deposit and apply it to your tuition fees when you enrol at York unless you specifically request a deposit refund.

Refunds for conditional offer holders

If your offer is still conditional, you can request a deposit refund for any reason providing you agree to your application being withdrawn. We will automatically refund your deposit in the following scenarios:

• If, on receipt of your final academic award, we reject your application.
• You do not meet your English language condition before the latest start date for your course.
• You do not meet the conditions of the offer before the latest start date for your course.
• Or if you ask us to withdraw your offer as you do not believe you will meet all conditions of your offer.

Exceptional refunds for unconditional offer holders

If your offer is unconditional, the deposit is non-refundable except in these exceptional circumstances:

• If your visa application has been refused or rejected by UKVI for any reason other than for a fraudulent application. A copy of the visa refusal notice must be provided (inability to obtain a visa in time to join the University will not be accepted as grounds for a refund).
• If your Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance is refused or rejected. A copy of the ATAS refusal notice must be provided. Inability to obtain ATAS clearance in time to join the University will not be accepted as grounds for refund.
• If you request a refund within 14 days of the payment being received by the University.
• If you withdraw your application following notification from the University that the course is cancelled, suspended or subject to significant changes between the application being submitted, the offer of admissions, and enrolment.
• In exceptional circumstances and on receipt of verifiable documentary evidence that you are unable to commence your studies and choose not to defer your offer. Such exceptional circumstances might include, but are not limited to, serious illness or international restrictions on travel.

Requesting a refund

You can make a refund request by emailing pg-deposits@york.ac.uk with the subject ‘Deposit refund request’. Please include your applicant ID, your reason for a refund and any evidence.

We will aim to communicate a decision within 14 working days of receiving a request.

If the request is approved, we will withdraw your offer and any issued CAS, and notify the UKVI.

Approved refunds will be made to the same person or third party as the original payment transaction. If the payment cannot be made to the original credit/debit card or bank account then we'll contact you by email for alternative payment details. Refunds will be made in Pound sterling (GBP). If this requires a foreign currency conversion this may be subject to exchange rate differences, which shall be at the risk of the applicant or third-party payer. We will aim to process refund payments within 28 working days of approval.

The deadline for submitting a deposit refund request for offer holders with 2025/6 entry is 10 October 2025.

Tuition fee deposit policy

Read our tuition fee deposit policies for postgraduate taught courses:

• Taught Postgraduate Tuition Fee Deposit Policy 2024/25 (PDF , 121kb)
• Taught Postgraduate Tuition Fee Deposit Policy 2025/26 (PDF , 134kb)

Appeals and complaints

Find out more information about appeals and complaints.