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How much will it cost?

How much will it cost?

Researching the cost of studying or working abroad is a vital step in planning your international experience. While we strive to ensure that we have opportunities to suit all budgets, knowing more about the costs involved allows you to save the money you need to make the most of your time abroad.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for those spending one or two semesters abroad are usually paid to the University of Aberdeen as normal, though the exact method of payment will depend on your fee status (see table below). No tuition fees would be due to your host university for those on study exchange.
 

Exact tuition fee arrangements will depend on when students commenced their degree.
 

Students commencing their degree in 2021/22 onwards

STUDY EXCHANGE Single semester Full academic year
Scottish (SAAS-funded) Full fee paid by SAAS Full fee paid by SAAS
Scottish (self-funded) Full fee paid by student Full fee paid by student
Rest of UK Full fee paid by student 15% of fee paid by student
(£1380 for 2021/22)
International / EU Full fee paid by student Full fee paid by student

 

TRAINEESHIPS Single semester Full academic year
Scottish (SAAS-funded) Full fee paid by SAAS 50% fee paid by SAAS
50% fee waiver
Scottish (self-funded) Full fee paid by student 50% fee paid by student
50% fee waiver
Rest of UK Full fee paid by student 15% of fee paid by student
(£1380 for 2021/22)
International / EU Full fee paid by student Full fee paid by student

 

Students commencing their degree in 2020/21

STUDY EXCHANGE Single semester Full academic year
Scottish/EU (SAAS-funded) Full fee paid by SAAS Full fee paid by SAAS
Scottish/EU (self-funded) Full fee paid by student Full fee paid by student
Rest of UK Full fee paid by student Fee waiver**
International / EU Full fee paid by student Full fee paid by student

 

TRAINEESHIPS Single semester Full academic year
Scottish/EU (SAAS-funded) Full fee paid by SAAS 50% fee paid by SAAS
50% fee waiver
Scottish/EU (self-funded) Full fee paid by student 50% fee paid by student
50% fee waiver
Rest of UK Full fee paid by student Fee waiver**
International Full fee paid by student Full fee paid by student

 

Students commencing their degree in 2019/20 or earlier

STUDY EXCHANGE Single semester Full academic year
Scottish/EU (SAAS-funded) Full fee paid by SAAS Full fee paid by SAAS
Scottish/EU (self-funded) Full fee paid by student Full fee paid by student
Rest of UK Full fee paid by student Fee waiver**
International Full fee paid by student Fee waiver**

 

TRAINEESHIPS Single semester Full academic year
Scottish/EU (SAAS-funded) Full fee paid by SAAS 50% fee paid by SAAS
50% fee waiver
Scottish/EU (self-funded) Full fee paid by student 50% fee paid by student
50% fee waiver
Rest of UK Full fee paid by student Fee waiver**
International Full fee paid by student Fee waiver**


**Fee waiver – this is based on eligibility for a final-year fee waiver: available to RUK students who commenced their degree in 2020/21 or earlier; and International students who commenced their degree in 2019/20 or earlier. For these students, the final-year fee waiver is switched to the year abroad. Please note that the fee waiver can only be applied once.

Tuition fees will be unaffected for students undertaking summer or graduate opportunities.

Funding

Eligibility for maintenance grants and loans

Students going abroad for a semester or year should continue to be eligible for maintenance grants and loans as normal, ie SAAS, Student Finance, etc. If you are unsure, check with your funding provider.

If the period abroad is a compulsory part of your programme, you may be able to claim the cost of return flights and medical insurance, even if you do not usually qualify for a maintenance grant - check with your funding provider for details.

Additional funding opportunities

The funding available depends on where you are going and what you are doing. We have outlined the main funding opportunities below.

Where there is no funding available, you should assume that an opportunity is self-funded, ie that you have to pay for it yourself.

Turing Scheme

Study exchange and traineeship opportunities can be funded under the UK Government's new Turing Scheme. Please see the Turing Scheme website for the latest grant rates. You should note that additional funding is available for students from low-income backgrounds, and for students with additional support needs.

Study exchange Scholarships

  • McNeil Scholarship for Drexel University, USA - two competitive awards of $12,500 USD (2019/20 rate for guidance only)
  • BUTEX Scholarship for destinations in North America - competitive awards of £500 GBP
  • JASSO Scholarship for destinations in Japan - competitive monthly stipend of ¥80,000 JPY

Santander Bursaries

Up to £1,000 available towards participation in an eligible summer school activity. See the Santander Bursaries section for more information

Additional costs

Students going abroad during their degrees should budget for the following additional costs:

  • Return flights to and from host destination at the beginning and end of your exchange period. If you plan to travel home for weekend breaks, holidays or celebrations then you should also budget for these flight costs.
  • Visa costs. For UK nationals, you will need a visa to study or work abroad in most destinations. For EU nationals, you will need a visa to study abroad at any of our partner institutions outside of Europe. Visas can be costly.  In addition to the processing fee itself you may have to meet the costs of required medical exams and/or obtaining required police certificates, as well as travel to/from the relevant Embassy which may be some distance from your home. Visa requirements, and therefore costs, vary be country, so it is worth researching these costs prior to applying for study exchange.
  • Insurance. While you will be entitled to University of Aberdeen travel insurance free of charge, taking out additional private insurance is highly recommended (and for some host universities, essential).

This is in addition to costs that you would usually budget for if you were in Aberdeen, such as:

  • Accommodation
  • Subsistence, ie food, drink and other essentials
  • Local transport
  • Books

Check out this useful Go Abroad budget calculator from the Digipass Project to help you with your financial planning.