Paying your fees
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Details of when fees are due, deposits and payment by instalments for new students.

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Deposit payments
Deposits are required* when you accept your offer and are offset against the fees for your study. Please see below for deposit amounts to be paid per degree programme. Your offer letter will state whether you have been assessed as a Home, Overseas or EU student for fees purposes.
Home Students Deposit
- MA, MRes, MPhil and PhD: £1,000
- Graduate Diploma: £2,000
Overseas and EU Students Deposit
- MA, MRes, MPhil and PhD: £2,000
- Graduate Diploma: £2,000
* This is not applicable to applicants with a fee status of Home who are applying to study MA Architecture Part 2 and who intend to take out a tuition fee loan from Student Finance.
When fees are due
For all programmes, fees are due in advance of registration, unless you are a Home student who has taken out a loan from Student Finance. Students are sent an invoice prior to the programme starting, which includes a deduction of the deposit payment.
Payment in advance
Fees may be paid using debit or credit cards (the College does not accept Diners Club cards), via WorldPay, by direct bank transfer or cheque (Sterling cheques drawn on an UK bank account only). Full details will be included in your tuition fee invoice.
Payment by instalments
For MA, MRes, MPhil and PhD programmes we also provide an option for you to pay in two equal instalments:
- one in advance of registration
- one at the start of the second term in January
Graduate Diploma Art & Design students must pay the full fee in one instalment in advance of registration.
In exceptional circumstances the college may allow you to pay by more flexible instalments. You should contact the college as soon as possible before the start of the academic year if you would like to investigate this.
Home students who are not taking out a loan from Student Finance
One half of the fee payable in advance of Registration (for first-year students the deposit will count towards the first instalment) by any payment method plus one payment via WorldPay or bank transfer at the start of term in January. This option is not available to Graduate Diploma students.
Home students who are taking out a loan from Student Finance
If you are receiving a Postgraduate Loan or Doctoral Loan, you can pay your fee in 3 instalments in line with your Postgraduate/Doctoral Loan payments (i.e. September, January and May). This means you can be enrolled (subject to the other enrolment conditions being met) and then pay your first instalment in September.
Please be aware your Postgraduate/Doctoral Loan may not cover the full cost of your fees and so you may need other funds to make up the shortfall.
Home students studying MA Architecture (Part 2) may be eligible to apply for a tuition fee loan to cover their fees. If you have an approved tuition fee loan in place at the point of enrolment which covers your full fees, you will not be required to make any fee payments.
Overseas and EU students
One half of the fee payable in advance of Registration (for first-year students the deposit will count towards the first instalment) plus one payment by any payment method at the start of term in January. This option is not available to Graduate Diploma students.
Progression discount
For 2024/25 entry, the College offers a discount on fees if you progress from one RCA programme to another. To qualify for this discount, you need to have been awarded a Graduate Diploma, MA or MRes degree from the RCA, and be registering for a degree offered by the College within ten years of the date of award of your previous degree.
Full time students claiming a progression discount are entitled to a fee reduction of £1,000 per year, for the following maximum periods:
- Students registering to an MA/Mres programme: one years
- Students registering to a postgraduate research programme: three years
Part-time students claiming a progression discount are entitled to a fee reduction of £500 per year for the following maximum periods:
- Students registering to an MA/Mres programme: two years
- Students registering to a postgraduate research programme: six years
If you change from full-time registration to part-time, or vice versa, then the remaining period of entitlement shall be calculated on a pro-rata basis. If you take a leave of absence during their study, then the period of leave shall not be included in the calculation of any entitlement to the progression discount.
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Get in touch if you'd like to find out more about studying at the RCA.
