Postgraduate research cost of attendance
The cost of attendance is displayed here as a requirement for the purposes of US Federal Direct Loan administration.
The cost of attendance for a student is an estimate of that student's educational expenses for their annual period of enrolment.
The US Govt. Higher Education Act, Sec. 472, allows the use of average expenses rather than actual expenses for all full-time students in the same category. See more information on US funding.
Example exchange rate
The annual cost of attendance has been converted to US dollars (USD) using an estimated exchange rate of £1 GBP = $1.40 USD.
- Important: This is not the rate that will be used to exchange loan funds. This is an example rate, marked up each April, in order to give US Loan borrowers access to the maximum available loan funds while allowing for exchange rate fluctuations during the academic year. This is because the university does not administer exchange rate recalculations during the academic year.
- Please note, these are the maximum borrowing values and most students and parents do not need to borrow the full amount.
Additional guidance on money
Managing money as an international student can come with challenges, from budgeting and banking to understanding everyday costs in the UK.
, written to help international students understand what to expect and how to plan with confidence.
Postgraduate research estimated cost of attendance for 2025–2026
| Item | GBP sterling | USD dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition fees (actual tuition fees tables) | £23,228 | $32,519 |
| Catered residence fees or rent, utilities, food | £13,708 | $19,191 |
| Travel (based on two trips each year) | £2,000 | $2,800 |
| Computer equipment, books, etc. | £1,200 | $1,680 |
| Personal, living expenses for 52 weeks | £5,200 | $7,280 |
| Totals | £45,336 | $63,470 |
Important: The dollar value for every loan disbursement will be converted to sterling based on the exchange rate on the day that the funds are received by the University's bank.
There are different costs of attendance (CoAs) for postgraduate research students with continuation or extension fees. Please confirm your fee to the US Loan Team (email usloan@st-andrews.ac.uk) for further information.
Entrant students
If you are an entrant student, you are eligible to add the following charges to your cost of attendance, if you wish.
| Item | GBP sterling | USD dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | £524 | $734 |
| Immigration healthcare surcharge (based on four years of study) |
£3,492 | $4,889 |
| Totals | £4,016 | $5,623 |
Adjustments to the cost of attendance for additional needs
US Federal Law also permits the university to increase an individual cost of attendance for some additional costs, including, but not limited to:
- an allowance for dependent care
- an allowance to assist with any disability
For further information on extenuating costs please contact usloan@st-andrews.ac.uk.