Tuition fee deposit

Once you have accepted an unconditional offer for a place on one of our taught courses or postgraduate research programmes, you will be informed about the CAS process and instructed on how to pay the Tuition Fee Deposit. The deposit supports you in demonstrating that you have the funds to study in the UK as part of the CAS and VISA process. The deposit payment is recorded on the CAS document and deducted from the overall tuition fees.

Applicants who provide verified documents confirming that they will be fully funded by a scholarship or sponsored by a national/government-based organisation, will not be required to pay the Tuition Fee Deposit.

Applicants who will be partially funded by a scholarship or national/government-based organisation will be required to pay the Tuition Fee Deposit. 

Early payment of the deposit is advised, and we recommend payments are made by the following dates: 

• Undergraduate Courses with a September course start date - 1 August 
• Undergraduate Courses via Clearing with a September course start date – 28 August 
• Postgraduate Taught and Research with a September course start date - 1 August 
• Postgraduate Taught and Research with a January course start date - 19 December 
• Postgraduate Research with a May course start date – 19 April

The final deadlines for confirmation of tuition fee deposit payment received will be as follows: 

• Undergraduate Courses with a September course start date – 30 August 

• Undergraduate Courses via Clearing with a September course start date – 30 August 
• Postgraduate Taught and Research with a September course start date – 20 August 
• Postgraduate Taught and Research with a January course start date – 3 January 
• Postgraduate Research with a May course start date – 24 April

The University reserves the right to withdraw your offer if the tuition fee deposit is not received by the relevant deadline. If this occurs your application will only be re-instated subject to receipt of the deposit and places being available on your chosen course. If you are offered a place after the given deadline an immediate deposit payment will be required to secure your place.

If you have any queries in respect to this payment, please contact the Admissions Team via your online application portal. 

1. Offer holders who change their minds and decide not to take up their place will not be entitled to a refund of the required deposit paid.

2. Refund request must be received within 30 days of the start date of the course you paid the deposit for.

3. Refunds will be made if evidence of a visa rejection is received and verified from the relevant UK visa office, unless the reason for the visa rejection is due to the failure to follow UKVI guidance, submission of fraudulent documents during the application process or on credibility grounds. If a visa is granted, refunds will not be permitted under any circumstances, but funds may be held on account for any future applications, for up to 2 years from the date of payment.

4. Refunds will only be made to the individual or organisation who originally paid the deposit. If a third party has paid the deposit on behalf of the applicant, we are unable to refund the deposit directly to the applicant. Due to money laundering regulations, refunds can only be made to the credit card or bank account from which the payment was made originally. Proof of payment such as a receipt or a bank statement showing payment from that account must be produced. Failure to do so will delay the refund severely or prevent it altogether.

5. Please note that applicants who are funded by their family are not regarded as sponsored and are required to pay their tuition fees as detailed above. 

6. Refunds will be made as soon as possible following receipt of a completed deposit payment refund request form and the approval of a request for a refund. Exact times may vary depending upon the reason for the requested refund and the method by which original payment was made. At busy times of year, please note that a refund may take slightly longer, but will usually be processed within four weeks.

7. Refunds will be made at the rate of exchange in force on the date the refund is processed. Any charges levied by the receiving bank will be paid by the applicant. (An administrative payment of £100 which covers the administrative time and/or the issuance of a CAS certificate will be deducted from the amount to be refunded).

8. The university will consider deferral requests for applicants for up to one year if they have fully met the conditions of the offer and have paid the fee deposit. The original deposit will be held over for the next year and will be eligible for a refund if the applicant meets the refund criteria for the original application.

9. Only tuition fees should be paid to the University of Kent - all subsistence payments should be made directly to students. 

Payments made on behalf of a student should be clearly noted on the payment questionnaire page which will appear when completing payment process. 

You will receive a confirmation email once the payment has been made which you should keep as your receipt and proof of payment made. 

If you have any queries in respect to this payment, please contact the Admissions Team via your online application portal. 

Requests for a refund must be submitted to the Admissions Office via your applicant portal. Please note that refund requests will only be considered up to 30 days after the original start date of your course.  

Refund requests will be assessed on an individual basis in accordance with this refund policy and you will be informed of the result via your applicant portal.