Postgraduate fees
Academic fees are charged at the start of each academic year, or on the annual anniversary of your start date, and are paid as part of registration.
Self-funding students
If you're a self-funding student, you can arrange to pay your fees in full or in two instalments:
- 50% paid by you before or on the day of registration. It is your choice which payment method you use for the first instalment.
- 50% on the first of the month, five months after your start date by direct debit from a UK current account.
You can set up your instalment plan during registration (under step six); you must provide details of your current account at this stage but payment will not be taken immediately.
If you do not have a UK current account, you can pay your first instalment using a different method and set up a UK current account when you arrive in Leeds. This process can take several weeks during busy times of the year and so to avoid delaying your registration you should treat this as a priority if you wish to pay in instalments. If there are delays to your registration because you are waiting to set up your bank account let Postgraduate Fees know.
Overtime (writing up) fees cannot be paid in instalments.
Tuition fee scholarships
If your tuition fees are being paid by the University this is called a tuition fee scholarship and should be shown on the registration system. This usually includes research council funding, university scholarships and school scholarships.
Schools and faculties can make partial contributions or pay your tuition fees in full. You can see whether the fee scholarship paperwork has been processed in step six of your online registration. If no tuition fee scholarship information is shown on step six of your registration, please contact your Graduate School.
Fee rates
The current fee rates are available on the Research degrees fees page of the University website. There are different fees for split-site research programmes. If you would like a fee assessment to determine if you are a home or international student, contact the postgraduate admissions team.
Bench fees
Some research projects require a high expenditure on consumables, equipment, or other resources. To cover these additional costs, an annual bench fee may be charged in addition to academic fees. If your project has a bench fee this will be clearly stated on your offer letter.
Overtime fee (writing up)
The overtime fee, which is non-refundable, allows all PGRs (excluding Masters by Research and miscellaneous study) to register on a reduced fee, after the standard period of study has finished but within the maximum period of study. During this time, it is expected that you will be completing the writing-up of the thesis and not normally undertaking further research. Full-time postgraduate researchers will normally have one year of overtime and overtime fee, part-time and split site have two years. If you submit your thesis before the end of the standard period of study, or within one month of the start of the overtime period, then you will not be required to pay the overtime fee or register during the overtime period. The charge will be applied on the anniversary of your start date as part of re-registration.
Details of the current overtime fee are available on the Research degrees fees page of the University website.
Overtime fee and suspension of studies
Slightly different arrangements will apply if you have had a suspension of studies at any point in your candidature. Your re-registration may not align with the date you begin your overtime period. The overtime fee will be applied in line with the anniversary of your start date as part of annual re-registration, and this may be some months before the start of your overtime period. If you have paid the overtime fee and then submit your thesis before the end of the standard period of study, or within one month of the start of the overtime period, your overtime fee will be reimbursed. To organise this refund please contact Postgraduate Fees.
Resubmission fee
If your thesis is referred after your viva, you may be required to re-submit your thesis. Once your resubmitted thesis is sent for examination the appropriate re-examination fee will be charged. Postgraduate Fees will contact you about this. The fee is subject to an increase each academic year and you should contact Postgraduate Fees at the appropriate time for details of the fee levels beyond the current session.
2023/24 resubmission fees:
Doctoral degrees (eg PhD, MD, EdD, DClinPsychol, DPaedDent) £555
MPhil £405
Masters by Research £325
2024/25 resubmission fees:
Doctoral degrees (eg PhD, MD, EdD, DClinPsychol, DPaedDent) £610
MPhil £445
Mastership by Research £360
Fee refund
If you are funding your studies yourself, you may be eligible for a partial refund of fees if you have an approved reduction to the standard period of study and you finish early, subject to completion of a successful examination. (This is not applicable to Masters by Research students as a reduction to the standard period of study is not permitted under University regulations).
No refund will be made unless all academic fees have been paid in full for the year/session in which you are submitting, you are successful in your examination, and have appeared on a pass list.
Please contact the Postgraduate Fees team for further advice on the fee refund arrangements. The fee refund applies only to those submitting within the standard period of study. The Overtime period fee is a special concession that allows you to register for a reduced rate and is non-refundable, irrespective of the month of submission. Information about the duration of studies (including standard and maximum time periods, as well as information on submitting your thesis early) can be found in your official University offer letter.
Need further help or advice?
If you have any issues around the payment of your academic fees, please let your Graduate School know immediately. The Postgraduate Fees team at the University can also give you help and advice.