Scholarship Amounts: What UK Scholarships Pay vs What UK Study Costs
The brutal math: what you get versus what you need. Use our calculator to find your real out-of-pocket cost with a GREAT Scholarship.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
2 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
The Number Everyone Avoids: Your Real Cost
UK universities charge international students 2–4 times what home students pay, and there is no cap on international fees. Add living costs, the visa fee and the health surcharge, and a one-year master's costs roughly £31,000–67,000. GREAT covers £10,000 of that.
Out-of-Pocket Calculator
| Tuition fees | £26,000 |
| Living costs (12 months) | £18,000 |
| Visa fee (£558) + health surcharge (£776) | £1,334 |
| Total cost | £45,334 |
| GREAT Scholarship | −£10,000 |
| Your out-of-pocket | £35,334 |
Does not include flights, pre-departure costs, textbooks, or the £2,500 CAS deposit many universities require before issuing your acceptance letter.
What Each Scholarship Actually Gives You
GREAT Scholarship — £10,000
Covers about 24% of a typical Russell Group year. Tuition discount only: no living costs, no flights. Full guide.
Chevening — £42,000+
Full tuition + £1,516 a month in London (£1,215 elsewhere, 2026/27 rates) + flights + visa fee and health surcharge, which scholars don't pay. Zero out-of-pocket. Full guide.
Commonwealth — £40,000+
Full tuition + £1,712 a month (£2,000 in London) for 2027/28 + flights + a warm clothing allowance. Full guide.
Women in STEM — £40,000+
Full tuition + living stipend + flights + visa and health surcharge, plus a child allowance for eligible mothers. Full guide.
UK vs Low-Tuition Countries
Before committing £30,000+ to a UK master's, consider what that money could do elsewhere:
| Country | Tuition (annual) | Living (annual) | Total 1-year cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK (with GREAT) | £8,000–32,000 | £12,000–18,000 | £21,000–51,000 |
| Germany | Free (most public universities) | €11,904 (visa blocked-account amount) | €11,904 (~£10,300) |
| France | €254 (EU) – €3,941 (non-EU) for a master's, 2026/27 | €9,600–14,400 | €9,854–18,341 |
| Netherlands | €2,694 EU (2026/27) / €15,000+ non-EU | €12,000 | €14,694–27,000 |
A DAAD scholarship in Germany gives you €992 a month plus free tuition. That's often a better deal than GREAT's £10,000 discount on £26,000 tuition. Compare with DAAD.
Related Guides
City-by-city breakdown
The £776-a-year hidden cost
Can you work to cover costs?