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Tuition & funding

How to finance your online programme is an important consideration for all students. At the University of Birmingham, we have outlined some of the popular funding options that are available to help support the cost of your programme.

To find out how much you should expect to pay, please view the tuition page for your programme of choice.

Your funding options

These funding methods are just some of the options available. Our financial guide for postgraduate students contains more information about these and other less well-known funding options.

Postgraduate loan

UK and EU students looking to pursue a masters programme in the UK may be eligible to apply for a non-means-tested loan from the British government via the Student Loans Company (SLC).

Private postgraduate student loans may also be suitable. You should consider sources and types of funding carefully and ensure that it meets your precise needs.

Alumni discount

University of Birmingham alumni wishing to study an online programme (selected online courses only), are eligible for a 10% discounted tuition rate. The discount is usually applied by taking 10% off the total tuition fee amount or at each module payment. Alumni discount is not available for graduates of short courses and is only applied to full masters programmes. If you believe you might be eligible for an alumni discount, please speak with your student recruitment coordinator. These discounts are always discussed and, if deemed eligible, are approved as part of the application process.

10% early bird discount*

We are excited to be offering a 10% early bird discount from your first module for the June 2023 intake. To be eligible for the early bird discount, you will need to have accepted an unconditional offer and be registered for your programme by 23:59 GMT, 28th April 2023. This discount applies only to the Online MBA, Online MBA Clinical Leadership, Online MSc International Management, Online Master’s in Public Administration, and Online LLM in Energy and Environmental Law.

Employer Reimbursement

If you think your employer would consider helping you pay for one of our programmes, you’ll need to make a strong case and to back it up with evidence.

It’s likely your employer will expect a return for their contribution, such as a commitment to work for the company for a set period of time, or otherwise repay the cost of your programme.

Scholarships

While we don’t offer scholarships for our online programmes, you may be eligible for a scholarship from your country. Explore our postgraduate scholarship and funding database.

There may also be other UK-based scholarships you can apply for too. Contact The British Council or Embassy in your country to find out more.

*Terms and conditions: 10% early bird discount

  1. Offer may be subject to change.
  2. To be eligible for the offer you must have accepted an unconditional and registered for your programme before 29th April 2023.
  3. Offer applies to the first module studied in June only.

Apply for employer funding

A recent study highlighted that 52% of employers offered reimbursement for upskilling or re-skilling programmes, while 69% covered most or all of their employees tuition costs.1

Ask your HR department or manager if they would consider reimbursing your programme tuition fees to improve your value to the company.

4 ways online degrees benefit you and your employer

The following points may be useful when you speak to your employer about funding.

  1. Become a more effective employee

As an online student with the University of Birmingham, you will be able to apply your new skills and insights immediately in your role. You don’t have to wait until you graduate to add value to your organisation.

2. Save your company money

By contributing to your education, your employer is securing your future with the business, saving them money on interviewing, hiring and training someone else. On average, it costs 6–9 months’ salary to replace an employee.2

3. Study around work commitments

100% online learning gives you the flexibility to study around your existing work commitments, so there’s no need to take a career break to further your development.

4. Demonstrate your value

Point out how your unique skills benefit the business. Over half of companies agree to fund employee upskilling or re-skilling, highlighting the value that employers place on retaining top talent.1

References:

1. UNKNOWN (2019) Closing the Skills Gap: 2019 Research Report. Wiley Education Services [online] Available at: <https://edservices.wiley.com/closing-the-skills-gap-report-2019/> [Accessed 30.06.2020]

2. MERHAR, C. (2020) Employee Retention – The Real Cost of Losing an Employee. People Keep [online] Available at: <https://www.peoplekeep.com/blog/employee-retention-the-real-cost-of-losing-an-employee> [Accessed 30.06.2020]