Paying for a course at university and the associated living costs is a major challenge for most students. Many fund their studies from a combination of sources such as savings, employment, small grants, loans or bursaries.

Whether you are a UK-based student, or an international student, we provide information, advice and range of online tools to help you put together the funding package you need. We also offer bursaries for high quality applicants. And, later in this section, we provide a range of additional sources of potential funding and helpful organisations and contacts for information, advice and guidance.

Please note that the academic year at Cranfield falls within two financial years for tax purposes. Therefore, you may be entitled to a tax rebate at the beginning of the course and be expected to pay  tax when starting work again at the end of your course.

Please note that adequate funding must be secured for fees and living expenses before registration.

Tuition fees

Individual course pages will detail the appropriate tuition fees for the next available intake. For a complete listing of taught course tuition fees, please see below:

Taught course tuition fees 2023-2024

Taught course tuition fees 2024-2025

Research degree tuition fees are detailed in the schedules linked below:

Research course tuition fees 2023-2024

Research course tuition fees 2024-2025

Deposits

Most taught and research applicants offered a place are required to pay a deposit towards the cost of the tuition fee to secure a place on the course. The deadline for payment and the amount required will be specified in your offer letter. The deposit amount will be deducted from the cost of the tuition fee.

For sponsored students, the requirement to pay the deposit will be waived if a letter can be provided confirming that all tuition fees will be paid by the sponsor.

International students who require a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) are required to pay the course deposit, or provide evidence of financial sponsorship, before a CAS is issued.

Deposits are intended as non-refundable guarantees of your intention to take up the offer of a place at the University. If you pay the deposit and then change your mind, you have a statutory right to receive a refund of the deposit if the withdrawal is made within 14 calendar days of payment. We will also consider a deposit refund if there are exceptional circumstances outside of your control, these are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Further guidance on refunding tuition fee deposits can be found in this document.

To be considered for a deposit refund please read the guidance carefully and complete the request for tuition fee deposit refund form.

How to pay your deposit and fees

There are several options on ways to make a payment to the University. Our preferred method is online payment via the portals.

Bank transfer payments via the portals can be made in most local currencies, GB Pounds, US Dollars or Euros, and will be fully tracked through their journey, so students are informed where their funds are. Bank transfer payments via Flywire/EasyTransfer are usually received by us faster than they would have been if transferred directly to the University bank account.

For details on how to make payments view our Make a Payment page.

Are you a sponsored student? If you are a sponsored student whose fees will be invoiced to a third party such as an overseas embassy or to a company you need to do two things:

1 - Provide Admissions with a copy of your sponsorship letter so we can remove the requirement to pay a tuition fee deposit.

2 - Send evidence of this sponsorship to SF-sponsorship-records@cranfield.ac.uk prior to registration. The subject line of your email must quote your student number. Apprenticeship students, whose fees will be paid via their company's apprenticeship levy, already supply this information in their commitment statements.

If your sponsor has not issued you with a sponsorship document please complete the Student Sponsorship Agreement which will need to be signed by you and your sponsor. We will accept the completed document as confirmation of you sponsorship.

Please note that parents or guardians, family members and friends cannot be classed as sponsors.

Please note:

  • Your tuition fees need to be paid on or before registration. It is advisable to pay at least five working days prior to registering to ensure minimal delay in your registration process and to be able to provide a copy of your payment instructions if asked for by Student Finance.
  • Find out what is included in your accommodation, and what you will need to buy or bring.
  • Before making any payment, we recommend you read our payment terms and conditions.

Additional sources of funding for UK students

Take a look at these potential sources of funding or use our funding finder. For current funding opportunities please contact the Student Funding team at studentfunding@cranfield.ac.uk.

The Cranfield Scholarship
We have a limited number of scholarships available for candidates from around the world. Scholarships are awarded to applicants who show both aptitude and ability for the subject they are applying to study. Find out more on the Cranfield Scholarship page.

Postgraduate Loan from Student Finance England
A Postgraduate Loan is now available for UK and EU applicants to help you pay for your master’s course. You can apply for a loan on the UK Government's website.

International Water Association & Cranfield University Excellence Scholarships
We have fifteen full fee scholarships across our MSc courses in Water & Wastewater Engineering, Water & Sanitation for Development, and Advanced Water Management.

Fan Makers Bursary for MSc in Thermal Power
The Worshipful Company of Fan Makers is providing a £10,000 bursary for the MSc Thermal Power at Cranfield University. One student (UK or EU) who, without financial support, would not be able to attend the course can benefit from a life changing opportunity to contribute to the UK Power and Propulsion industry. 

Lendwise Postgraduate Student Loan
The Lendwise Postgraduate Student Loan provides tuition fee and maintenance loans of between £5,000 and £100,000 for eligible applicants studying at Cranfield University.

Cranfield Manufacturing and Materials Excellence Scholarship is an exciting new opportunity for those studying a full-time Masters course in manufacturing or materials. Awards are based on merit and will go towards tuition fees. Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, the equivalent of a UK first class honours degree in a relevant subject area.

Additional sources of funding for international students

We offer bursaries for high quality applicants and our funding finder provides a searchable database of sources of financial support for you. In addition, the following funding options are available. For current funding opportunities please contact the Student Funding team at studentfunding@cranfield.ac.uk.

The Cranfield Scholarship
We have a limited number of scholarships available for candidates from around the world applying for the next intake. Scholarships are awarded to applicants who show both aptitude and ability for the subject they are applying. Find out more about the Cranfield Scholarship.

Chevening Scholarships
Chevening Scholarships are awarded to outstanding emerging leaders to pursue a one-year master’s at Cranfield university. The scholarship includes tuition fees, travel and monthly stipend for master’s study.

Commonwealth Master's Scholarships
Students from developing countries who would not otherwise be able to study in the UK can apply for a Commonwealth Scholarship which includes tuition fees, travel and monthly stipend for master’s study.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship
Students from developing countries who would not otherwise be able to study in the UK can apply for Commonwealth Shared Scholarships for master’s study, jointly supported by Cranfield University. 

International Water Association & Cranfield University Excellence Scholarships
We have fifteen full fee scholarships across our MSc courses in Water & Wastewater Engineering, Water & Sanitation for Development, and Advanced Water Management.

Conacyt (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia)
Cranfield offers competitive scholarships for Mexican students in conjunction with Conacyt (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia) in science, technology and engineering.

Latin American Taught Scholarship
Cranfield School of Management is pleased to offer Latin America Taught Scholarships to international (non-EU) students joining the University from selected Latin American countries to study a (selected) taught master’s programme in September.

Study a Master's in Europe Scholarship from educations.com
This scholarship is worth €5,000 and open to students who will be studying a Master's degree abroad at a European University.

Cranfield Manufacturing and Materials Excellence Scholarship is an exciting new opportunity for those studying a full-time Masters course in manufacturing or materials. Awards are based on merit and will go towards tuition fees. Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, the equivalent of a UK first class honours degree in a relevant subject area.

Funding and loans for US students studying in the UK
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