International student costs

Thinking ahead about your finances is critical to the success of your studies. Preparing your budget for the whole duration of your studies is probably the most important thing you can do before leaving home as you will need to know that you have sufficient funds to finance yourself to the end of your programme.  You will need between £12,000 and £13,500 per year to live in Glasgow, in addition to the cost of tuition.  In order to satisfy Student route visa requirements some students will need to show that they have £9,207 (minimum) for maintenance (i.e living costs) plus the full amount of tuition fees for the first year of their course.

In addition to the monthly costs (estimates provided on our Cost of Living page) you will need to factor in some one-off costs such as:

  • Police registration (if applicable to you – £34)
  • Mobile phone if you wish to buy a new one for use in UK (£50-£100)
  • Temporary accommodation (Hotel, B&B or Air Bnb – usually around £60+ for 2 nights)
  • Kitchen items (such as pots and pans) – approx. £50

The Conservatoire operates a Discretionary Fund for Non-UK students who, after having matriculated, find themselves struggling to meet day-to-day living costs such as rent and utility bills.  Please note that this fund is small and is to help students as a short-term measure.  It shouldn’t be relied upon as a means of funding and it cannot be used to help with outstanding tuition fees.  The maximum award that can be made is £500.

If you need to find funding for tuition costs and/or living expenses please check the RCS website for some ideas on funding that might be available from your home country. Please note that outside your home country funding for international students may be extremely limited.

The Study in Scotland website has some useful information for international students studying in Scotland:  https://www.scotland.org/study

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