Deposits

Your offer letter will tell you if you need to pay a deposit. Details of which programmes require a deposit payment are in the postgraduate degree finder.

You must pay the deposit to secure your place, unless you qualify for an exemption or extension as outlined below. If you think that you are eligible for an exemption or an extension you must contact us before the deadline your payment is due.

You do not have to pay a deposit if you:

• are sponsored by a University of Edinburgh recognised sponsor or have a full scholarship covering your tuition fees.
• have previously studied at the University of Edinburgh and received one of the following scholarships or bursaries: Rest of UK (RUK) Undergraduate Bursary; Scotland Accommodation Bursary; University of Edinburgh Scholarship; Scotland Scholarship or Access Edinburgh Scholarship 

How to request a deposit exemption

If you think you are eligible for a deposit exemption, you must provide official sponsorship documentation, e.g. an official sponsor letter on headed paper, by the deadline your deposit is due.  

Documentation should be uploaded to your Applicant Hub, within the ‘Scholarships and funding’ tab. Your sponsorship document will then be reviewed by the Admissions team.  

Please note that it is not always possible to reinstate an application once it has been made unsuccessful for non-payment of deposit.

Holders of partial scholarships must pay the required deposit. 

If you have applied for funding (such as a scholarship) you can request an extension to your deposit deadline.

Please email futurestudents@ed.ac.uk to request a deposit deadline extension.  You must request the deposit extension and provide proof of your scholarship or funding application in English by the deadline that your deposit is due. You must also confirm when you expect to receive an outcome on your scholarship or funding application.  

Please note that it is not always possible to grant an extension or to reinstate an application once it has been made unsuccessful for non-payment of deposit. 

Requesting a refund within 14 days of your payment

Applicants requesting a refund for any reason within 14 calendar days after the payment date will be refunded in full.

If you want to request a deposit refund within 14 days of the date we receive your payment, you must submit your request through the Applicant Hub by selecting the option ‘Request Refund and Decline Offer’ within the Finance tab  

All other refund requests

Refund requests received more than 14 days from the payment date will only be considered in the following cases:

• we are unable to provide the degree programme originally applied for, offered and accepted, and you do not want to take a place on any alternative degree programme
• you fail to meet the conditions of your offer, including any English language requirements, and you provide appropriate validating evidence as outlined in the deposit policy for your degree programme. If you do not make an attempt to meet the conditions of our offer, we will not refund the deposit. Contact the school you applied to if you need more information.
• your UK student visa or ATAS clearance is refused or rejected, except where the refusal is a result of:
  • a fraudulent visa application
  • insufficient funds
  • supplying incorrect documents
• you experience exceptional circumstance, such as serious illness or bereavement (the school or college will make a decision on a case-by-case basis)  

We cannot refund deposits for any other reason.

All requests for a refund more than 14 days from the date of payment, must be made in writing to futurestudents@ed.ac.uk no later than two weeks from the start date of the degree applied for.