If you are coming from outside of the UK, you may need some additional financial support to fund your studies. Although many of you won't be eligible for the same government loans as UK students, there are other funding options to support you during your degree. We recommend that you source this funding before you leave your home country.
Visit our dedicated web pages for international students to find out more about the financial support available.
Student loans
You may be eligible for a student loan from the UK government if you:
- have settled status; and
- you normally live in England; and
- you’ve been living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for three years in a row before the first day of the first academic year of your course.
You may also be eligible for financial support from the UK government if you are:
- a UK national who was living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein on 31 December 2020, or returned to the UK between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2020 immediately after living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein; or
- have been living in the UK, the EU, Gibraltar, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein for three years in a row immediately before the first day of the first academic year of your course.
Please visit the gov.uk website for full eligibility criteria.
External scholarships and bursaries for international students
The British Council is a good place to find details of all the options, and for tips and advice on managing your money once you arrive in the UK.
If you find yourself in financial difficulties once you have arrived in the UK, you should speak to the AskBU team and the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) to see what help may be available to you.
US Federal Loans
If you are a US citizen you can apply for a US Federal Loan to fund your studies in the UK. We participate in the US Government Federal Stafford Loan Programme, which means eligible US citizens can apply for Direct Stafford PLUS Loans up to the Cost of Attendance.
You can find full details about US Federal Loans, including how to apply for them and who to contact at BU for advice, on our funding support for US students page.
Opening a bank account
When studying in the UK, you will need to open a bank account.
There are many banks in the UK. Here are some top tips about how to choose one:
- Look at what the different banks are offering students
- See if the bank you already have an account with operates in the UK too
- Look at which bank is available on your university campus or in your university town
- Consider how much interest free overdraft the bank is offering
- Research the international transfer fees.
Deposit and tuition fee payments
If you are required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the course, please find payment instructions below. Your offer letter specifies whether you are required to pay a deposit.
All fee payments must be made in pounds sterling (£), directly to the official university account to ensure secure and accurate processing. We do not endorse payments made through agents or third parties.
Payment methods:
- Debit card - we accept Delta, Electron, Maestro, Solo and Visa debit cards.
- Credit card - we accept Mastercard and Visa credit cards
- Payment with Flywire - make sure you select the option that states “International Bank Transfer in British Pounds (GBP)” as this will guarantee you the best exchange rate and smallest transfer fee
- International bank transfers - see the BACS information below
To make your payment:
- Login to myHub and go to the 'My applications' tab.
- In the 'What you need to do' section click on the 'Pay' link.
- You'll then have the option to either pay by online credit/ debit card or to use Flywire to make an international wire payment. These are our preferred payment methods and ensure your payment reaches us as quickly as possible.
- To pay by international bank transfer, BACS information below.
BACS payment details
Email for remittances: [email protected]
Email for deposit remittances: [email protected]
Company: Bournemouth University
Address: Bournemouth University Finance Department
Studland House
12 Christchurch Road
Bournemouth
BH1 3NA
Telephone: 01202 961600
Fax: 01202 961179
Bank: Barclays Bank plc, PO Box 1, Bournemouth Town Branches, Bournemouth, BH1 1ER
Sort Code: 20-12-04
Account No: 80188921
IBAN: GB24 BARC 2012 0480 1889 21
SWIFT/BIC: BARCGB22
Please ensure that the invoice numbers are quoted on remittance advice.
Paying in instalments
The instalments facility is only offered if you pay your tuition fees online by credit card or debit card. Please view our fees policy for further information.
When paying in instalments, 50% of the fee (after any deposits or discounts have been applied) must be paid on or before enrolment. The final instalment (50%) will be claimed from the relevant card account approximately three calendar months from the due date of the first instalment. A recurring debit/credit card payment authority will have to be set up. We will inform you of the exact due dates on which the second instalments will be payable when you set up the recurring debit/credit card payment authority.
International payments - processing times
International payments may take up to four weeks to be processed and received, depending on what payment method you used. Due to expected delays in UK student visa processing, you should not use bank transfers if you are paying your deposit or tuition fee within eight weeks of your course start date.
Debit / credit card payments may take up to four days
Payment with Flywire may take up to a week (some countries have longer processing times)
International banks transfers may take up to four weeks.