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Deposits for postgraduate taught programmes

Find out if you need to pay a deposit towards your tuition fees in order to secure your place of study.

Deposits are required to secure a place on the majority of postgraduate programmes. This is to demonstrate your commitment to studying at Cardiff University and to prevent other applicants from being disadvantaged by places being held where there is no intention of study. Where a deposit is required, details will be given in your formal offer letter. This applies to full-time and part-time, on campus, blended, and distance-learning programmes.

Deposits paid will form part of your tuition fee payments and will show in your tuition fee balance on enrolment.

All deposits are subject to anti-money laundering law in the UK and are subject to a 14-day cooling-off period. After the 14-day cooling-off period, all deposits are non-refundable unless they meet the terms of the Cardiff University deposit refund policy.

Should the University substantially change a programme, applicants will be entitled to a deposit refund when requested within 14 days of the notification of the change.

Exemptions

You are not required to pay a deposit if:

  • you are in receipt of a full tuition fee scholarship from Cardiff University or a recognised sponsor or funding body (please note that there are exceptions to this as detailed in the exceptions to exemptions section)
  • you are in receipt of a full tuition fee bank, student, or US Federal loan
  • you are a resident of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, or USA, at the point of an offer, and can provide evidence that you have applied for external funding
  • you are studying on an approved progression programme at an approved partner institution, such as the  pre-Master's programme at the International Study Centre in Cardiff
  • you are a current Cardiff University student studying on a full degree programme
  • you are a current Cardiff University student studying on the Graduate Diploma Law (full-time) and are progressing to another programme in the Law School
  • it is not stipulated in your offer letter. Where a tuition fee deposit is not stipulated in your offer, you may still choose to pay a deposit (particularly if you require a visa to study in the UK) as this money will be paid towards your tuition fees and will demonstrate your commitment to UK study as well as reducing the amount of available funds you are required to show in your bank account for visa purposes
  • you have applied for asylum in the UK (asylum seeker)

You may be asked to provide documentary evidence to exempt you from paying a deposit, such as a letter of sponsorship.

Sponsor letters and financial guarantees must:

  • be on headed paper from a recognised sponsor or funding body
  • include your full name and date of birth
  • include the date
  • include the programme you are applying to
  • be signed/stamped by the recognised sponsor or funding body
  • include the academic year(s) the funding is for
  • include the full amount of fees being covered.

In the case of partial sponsorship the full deposit must still be paid by the required deadline.

Requests for an exemption must be received before the deposit payment deadline and before a deposit has been paid. Requests must be sent to admissions-advice@cardiff.ac.uk and should include evidence with the request.

Exceptions to exemptions

Applicants to the School of Dentistry's clinical programmes (MSc Implantology, MScD Orthodontics, Master of Clinical Dentistry (Endodontology), Master of Clinical Dentistry (Prosthodontics), Postgraduate Diploma Implant Dentistry) who are current enrolled Cardiff University students, or applicants to these programmes who are in receipt of a full tuition fee scholarship will still be required to pay the deposit and will not be eligible for an exemption under this category. This is so that the academic school, in conjunction with the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, is able to identify and select appropriate clinical cases to support the delivery of the clinical training.

Applicants domiciled in Ghana, with a sponsor based in Ghana, will not typically be eligible for an exemption under this category. However, exceptions may be made for students sponsored by the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, where Cardiff University is able to independently verify sponsorship. For queries, please contact international@cardiff.ac.uk

Deposit amounts for 2025/26 entry

  • £5,000 for clinical programmes (MSc Clinical Dermatology, MSc Implantology, MScD Orthodontics, Master of Clinical Dentistry (Endodontology), Master of Clinical Dentistry (Prosthodontics), Postgraduate Diploma Implant Dentistry)
  • £500 for Graduate Diploma Law (full-time) and LLM Canon Law (part-time)
  • £2,500 for all other postgraduate taught programmes

You will receive confirmation of your deposit amount and information about how to make your deposit payment in your offer letter.

Deposit payment deadline

Details of the deposit deadline will be included in your official Cardiff University offer letter (whether you receive a conditional or unconditional offer).

Missed deadlines

Your offer may be withdrawn if the deposit is not paid by the deadline specified in your offer letter.

It may be possible to retain your place even if you miss the deposit payment deadline. However, we are not obliged to honour the place for offer holders who fail to meet the deposit deadline.

Extensions

If you are unable to pay the deposit by the deadline stated in your offer, you may request an extension via the Online Applicant Portal not earlier than 2 weeks before the deadline. If places are still available on your chosen programme of study, your request for an extension will normally be granted. However, the duration of the extension will be dependent on the demand for places and the programme start date. If you make a request for an extension earlier than 2 weeks before the deadline, it will normally be refused.

Deposit payment cooling-off period

Upon paying your deposit payment there will be a 14-day cooling-off period from the date the payment was made. During the 14-day cooling-off period you may request a deposit refund by contacting us at admissions-advice@cardiff.ac.uk upon receipt of which your deposit will be returned within 30 working days minus any bank or transfer charges that were charged by the payment service you used.

If you enrol within the 14-day cooling-off period, the cooling-off period will cease at the point of enrolment, at which point the deposit refund policy for withdrawal after enrolment will apply. If you withdraw from the University more than two weeks after enrolment, you will (as per the standard Cardiff University Tuition Fee policy) be charged a pro rata tuition fee based on number of weeks enrolled, and the deposit payment will be accepted as payment against this pro rata amount, assuming the amount is more than the deposit amount paid.

Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies Statement

In order to receive a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) for a Student Route visa and enrolment information you will be required to:

  • make your deposit payment or provide evidence that you are eligible for an exemption by the stipulated deadline
  • meet any conditions as stipulated in your offer letter
  • submit copies of any documents we have requested at least two weeks before the programme start date
  • where requested, provide your consent for us to undertake any verification checks necessary.

The CAS statement will include both tuition fees due and any advance payments, including deposit, received at the date of issue.

We advise that you make the deposit payment and meet all conditions of your offer as soon as possible to prevent any delays to you arriving in time for the start of your programme. It is your responsibility to make sure you have enough time to apply for a visa, travel to the UK, and start your studies on the programme start date stipulated in your offer letter.

Deferrals

Where a deposit has been paid and a deferral request has been approved, the deposit will automatically be carried over to the next cycle in order to secure the place on the programme.

Where a deposit has not been paid, you will normally receive an updated deadline in your new offer letter, and the deposit amount to be paid may also increase.

Applicants requesting a refund following a deferral must meet the terms of the deposit refund policy in relation to their revised start date.

It is not possible to both defer a place and receive a deposit refund.