Finance and Fees

Oxford is no more expensive than any other university in the country. With the huge array of support and bursaries on offer, applying to Oxford is a choice anyone can make, whatever their financial background.  On this page, we'll run through what it costs to go to any UK university, and the extra support Oxford has to offer all students.

Financial Support

All UK students are eligible for a student loan.  Whatever your household income, you’re entitled to receive at least £3,385 per year, though this can increase on a sliding scale up to £4,510 depending on your household income. 

Your loan is generally paid back automatically through the tax system, and repayments only start when you’re earning over £15,000 per year (£288 per week). You’ll be required to pay at least 9% of your total income above the threshold (so that’s 9% of what you earn over £15,000, not 9% of your total income). Interest is subsidised by the government and is fixed at a level equivalent to the rate of inflation. The real value of any loans will, therefore, not increase over time. It’s the cheapest loan you’re ever likely to get!

Around two-thirds of all students starting University in 2008 will also be eligible for a maintenance grant, which doesn’t have to be paid back. The amount you receive depends on the household income and your year of study.  If your household income is less than £25,000, you’ll receive the full maintenance grant of £2,825.  If your household income is between £25,001 and £60,000, you’ll receive a partial grant, the amount declining from the full grant as your household income increases towards the upper threshold.

Due to devolution, this government-funded support does vary slightly depending on what part of the country you live in.  The information provided here is broadly correct for students living in England and Northern Ireland.  At the time of going to print, students living in Wales and Scotland are eligible for slightly less government funded financial support.  For more and up-to-date information, al students can visit here; English students here; Welsh students here; Scottish students here and Northern Irish students here. International students should refer to the official University prospectus and University website for details about financial arrangements.

Tuition Fees (paid after you graduate)

Whichever institution you go to, and whatever your circumstances, you’ll probably have to pay tuition fees of £3,070 per year. These can be deferred until after graduate, so that you pay nothing upfront – instead, the fees are simply added to your student loan.

Extra Financial Support in Oxford

All UK students receiving a maintenance grant will also automatically receive an Oxford Opportunity Bursary.  These are currently the most generous in the country, worth up to £13,000 over the course of a degree. The bursary aims to help UK students meet their maintenance costs, so that students receiving the maximum Oxford Opportunity Bursary and the government-funded Maintenance Grant should have sufficient funding to cover their basic living costs during term-time without taking out a separate student loan for maintenance.  Like the Maintenance Grant, the Oxford Opportunity Bursary works on a sliding scale based on household income, and doesn’t have to be repaid.

Most colleges can also offer considerable financial support. This includes hardship grants and loans for students in financial need, scholarships and exhibitions awarded for excellent academic achievement, tutorial prizes for consistently good work, study grants towards accommodation if staying in Oxford over the holidays for any academic reasons, book grants and travel grants for trips related to academic work.

If you have any questions about student funding in Oxford, check out the University website.

Money matters

Money shouldn’t put you off applying to Oxford, particularly with the range and amount of financial support available to Oxford students. What’s more, there are some unique factors to Oxford that also help with living costs.

Accommodation

First of all, you'll be staying in college accommodation for at least one year of your course, depending on your college.  This tends to be of a high standard, subsidised and usually you only have to pay for the six months that you’re living here.  This is a big selling point, especially compared to other universities where you’re often expected to rent privately for two years.  Rent varies between colleges, but usually works out to about £3,000 per year, over around 24 to 27 weeks.

Food and Drink

Hall food is cheap and usually available for at least three meals a day (every day), although quality can vary across colleges. Formal Hall, whose popularity among students endures, is typically a later sitting of dinner where you’re provided with a (usually) delicious three-course meal and waiter service for less than £5.  Outside of Hall, many colleges provide some kitchen facilities so you can cook for yourself.  With 30,000 students in the city, many of the local eateries, cafes and restaurants provide discounts, so while it’s possible to spend a fortune at le Petit Blanc, you can easily feed yourself on a budget elsewhere.

College bars, as well as being popular social centres, range from 'ridiculously cheap' to 'much cheaper than the pub', while guaranteeing a safe atmosphere with friendly and familiar company.  The Student Union organises regular club nights with cheap tickets and drinks so you can have a great night out without blowing your student loan in one go.

Books

Oxford probably has the best provision of libraries in the country. The Bodleian is a copyright library, meaning it has the right to a copy of every published book in the UK.  Faculty and college libraries often have multiple copies of key texts that you can borrow and consult, so it’s relatively rare that you’ll have to buy a book. Colleges often have funds to buy books if you can't find what you are looking for on your reading list.  Overall, you can save a substantial amount of money on study materials at Oxford compared to at other universities with less comprehensive libraries.

Transport

Almost everything useful in Oxford is within a mile from the city centre, and since most students live right in the middle it’s rare that you’ll ever have to walk for more than about 20 minutes. Bikes are very common (there are dozens locked up on every street corner). Transport costs are therefore minimal, as you won't need to invest in bus passes or fork out for taxis after a night out.

Jobs

Terms at Oxford are only eight weeks long, and therefore very intense – there’s not really any time to have a separate job, and tutors don’t usually like it if you do. That said, some colleges do have bar or library shifts during term time, and with some of the longest holidays in the UK, you'll have plenty of time to find work at home.
In addition, many large firms offer summer internships, where you can get valuable work experience and generally be paid very well. Many Oxford students are able to finance their studies just by working in the summer vacation, but with six weeks’ holiday at Christmas and Easter, there’s plenty of time to earn some cash.