If you are not from one of the below countries*, you will need to prove that you have enough money in your account to pay for your first year’s tuition fees and your living expenses to get your Student visa. You must give the documents to the UK Home Office to show that you meet these requirements.
You will find information on your course fees and how much they are in your offer letter. All students must show they have the following funds available as a minimum:
| Course length as per your CAS | Amount you need to show |
|---|---|
|
less than 9 months |
Full course fees + £1,483 for each month of course length |
| more than 9 months | First year course fees + £12,006 (£1,483 per month for a maximum of 9 months) |
Please see below an ‘example’ of fees needed with one dependent:
| Tuition fees | £15,500 |
| Fees paid to date | £4,298 |
| Unpaid fees total | £11,202 |
| Home Office Maintenance (for applicant) | £12,006 |
| Total of unpaid fees and Maintenance | £23,208 |
Please see below an ‘example’ of fees needed without dependents:
| Tuition fees | £15,500 |
|---|---|
| Fees paid to date | £4,298 |
| Unpaid fees total | £11,202 |
| Home Office Maintenance (for applicant) | £12,006 |
| Home Office Maintenance (for one dependent) | £7,605 |
| Total of unpaid fees and Maintenance | £30,813 |
Please be aware that if you wish to bring more than one dependent, you must show £7605 per person for studies inside of London.
Proving you have enough money
The UK Home Office is very strict when it comes to financial evidence that you must provide to show you have enough money for your studies in the UK. They will typically accept the following documents:
- Funds in your, or a parent's bank account for a 28-day consecutive period
- An educational loan in your name
- A letter from an official government sponsor in your home country or from the UK Government
Evidence you will need to provide:
Cash in your own bank account: The money in your bank account must show that you have held these for at least 28 consecutive days prior to the date of application. Shares, bonds, overdrafts, credit cards, pension funds and similar savings accounts will not be accepted. Funds must not be held in a bank or a financial institution where the UK Home Office is unable to make the required verification checks. The UK Home Office website lists these institutions.
You must provide one of the following specified types of documents:
Original personal bank statement
This must cover a consecutive 28 day period. The closing balance shown on this statement must not be more than 31 days old before the date of your visa application. Statements must show:
- Your name
- Account number
- Date of statement
- Name and logo of bank/building society
- That the funds in this account have not fallen below the minimum amount required for the full 28 day period
- That the funds in this account must be present until the closing balance of the statement or the production date of the statement.
Electronic bank statements will not be accepted.
Original joint account statements
Joint bank statements must show all of the above information. These statements must also show names of both the account holders. If this is your parents then your name will not need to be shown. See section on cash in parent’s account for more information.
If this is a joint account with your spouse, both your name and your spouse’s names must appear on the statement.
Letter from your bank
If you don’t have a bank statement, you can provide a letter from your bank which has been stamped and signed by a staff member in your local branch. This can also be printed on letterhead paper from the bank. This letter must also include the following information:
- Your name
- Your account number
- Production date (date letter was written)
- Name and logo of bank/building society
- Confirmation of amount held in the account
- That the funds in this account have not fallen below the minimum amount required for the full 28 day period
- That the funds in this account must be present until the closing balance of the statement or the production date of the statement
Cash in parent's account
You can use money in a bank account held by one, or both of your parents instead of your own personal account. If you are relying on funds provided by your parents, you must also show evidence of your relationship to them and that they have given you their permission to use/have access to this money for your studies. If using a parent’s bank statement, you must also provide the below as additional evidence:
- An original copy of your birth certificate. If needed, this must also be translated into English and this must be done by an official translator (Affidavits cannot be used as these are not accepted by the UK Home Office or the University of Sunderland)
- A letter from your parents, signed by them, that confirms they are happy for you to use/have access to funds in their account
How long the money must be held
Educational loans
- In your name, not in the name of your parents or legal guardian
- From a bank that is regulated by an official regulatory body for providing educational loans in your country
- Dated no more than 6 months before the date of your student visa application.
- Your name
- The date the letter was produced
- The financial institutions name and logo
- The money available as an educational loan is provided by your national, state government, a government sponsored student loan company, or is part of an academic or educational loan scheme.
- The start date of the loan
US Federal Loans
Finacial or Government Sponsorship
- The UK Government or your government in your home country
- The British Council
- An international organisation
- An international company
- Your name
- The names of your dependents (if applicable)
- The name and contact details of the official sponsor
- The date of the letter (this should not be more than six months old)
- The length of the sponsorship – start and end date
- The amount of money the sponsor is giving you, or confirmation that they will pay your tuition fees and living expenses
- The official stamp of the organisation
Living costs
The Home Office uses fixed amounts, which may or may not reflect your actual living costs.
If you wish to study in London, you will need £1,483 for each month of your course, up to a maximum of nine months. This means that if you will be studying in London for a course that lasts one month only, the amount that you will need is £1,483.
If you will be studying in London for a course lasting nine months or more, the amount that you will need is £12,006. If you are not sure whether you will be studying in London, ask your Student sponsor.
Please note that the monthly figure £1,483 for study in London is for applications on or after 2 January 2025.
For study elsewhere in the UK, the monthly amounts are lower: you will need £1,136 for each month of your course, and up to £9,207 for a course lasting nine months or more.
Please note that the monthly figure for study outside London is £1,136 per month for applications on or after 2 January 2025.
Use the course start and end dates on your CAS to calculate the length of your course and therefore how many months' maintenance you will need. If the length of your course includes a part of a month, round it up to a full month. For example if your course dates are 30 May until 1 October, this is four months and two days so you would need to show five months' of funds.
