If you are applying to start a new course, you must show that you have enough money to pay your school fees for  the first year of your course (or for the entire course, if it lasts less than a year). Your school fees include your course fees and your board or lodging fees.

If you have already started your course and you are applying to extend your stay so that you can continue that course, you must show that you have enough money to pay your school fees:

• to the end of the current academic year; or
• for the next academic year, if you will continue on your course at the start of the next academic year.

If you are applying to do a 'st udy abroad' programme in the UK as part of an overseas course, you must show that you have enough money to pay any school fees you need to pay to the Tier 4 sponsor for the first year of the programme (or for the entire programme, if it is less than a year long).

Your confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) tells us the amount of money you need to show to pay your course fees. If you do not know what this amount is, you must ask your Tier 4 sponsor.

If the length of your course includes a part of a month, we will round the time up to the next month. For example, if a course lasts seven months and two weeks, you must show that you have enough money for eight months.

If you are not being accommodated by your Tier 4 sponsor, you are a 'non-boarder'. You will need to show that you have enough money to pay your course fees and your living costs.

Course fees

If you are applying to start a new course, you must show that you have enough money to pay your course fees for  the first year of the course (or for the entire course, if it lasts less than a year). Your school fees include your course fees and your board or lodging fees.

If you have already started your course and you are applying to extend your stay so that you can continue that course, you must show that you have enough money to pay your course fees:

• to the end of the current academic year; or
• for the next academic year, if you will continue on your course at the start of the next academic year.

If you are applying to do a 'st udy abroad' programme in the UK as part of an overseas course, you must show that you have enough money to pay any school fees you need to pay to the Tier 4 sponsor for the first year of the programme (or for the entire programme, if it is less than a year long).

Your confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) tells us the amount of money you need to show to pay your course fees. If you do not know what this amount is, you must ask your Tier 4 sponsor.

Living costs

You must also have enough money to cover your living costs. The amount you will need depends on your care arrangements while you are in the UK. There are three possibilities:

• you will be staying in the UK with a carer who is a resident British citizen or another UK resident;
• (if you are under 12 years old) you will be staying with a parent or a legal guardian who will be accompanying you to the UK; or
• you are 16 or 17 years old and will be living independently in the UK.

If you are staying with a carer who is a resident British citizen or other UK resident, you must show that you have money to pay your course fees. Additionally:

• your intended carer must have agreed to look after and accommodate you in the UK for the length of your course;
• your intended carer must have at least £550 a month to look after and accommodate you in the UK for each month of your course, up to a maximum of nine months; and
• we must receive confirmation that your intended carer is a resident British citizen or other UK resident.

If the length of your course includes a part of a month, we will round the time up to the next month. For example, if your course is 7 months and 2 weeks, you must show that your have enough money for 8 months.

If you are under 12 years old, a parent or legal guardian can accompany you to the UK. They must apply for permission to come here as a special visitor.

The money needed for your living costs will depend on how many child students are coming with your parent or legal guardian. You must show that you have money to pay your course fees plus £1500 a month throughout your course for both you and your parent or legal guardian's living costs, up to a maximum of 9 months.

If your parent or legal guardian is bringing more of their children to the UK as child students,  the first child student must show that they can pay their course fees plus £1,500 a month for up to 9 months, as shown above. Each additional child must show that they can pay their course fees plus £600 a month for up to 9 months.

If the length of your course includes a part of a month, we will round the time up to the next month. For example, if a course is 7 months and 2 weeks, you must show that you have enough money for 8 months.

If you are a 16- or 17-year-old child student and you want to live independently in the UK during your stay, the amount of money you will need to cover your living costs will depend on:

• where you will be studying in the UK; and
• whether you have recently been studying in the UK - if you are a current or recent student, we may consider that you have an 'established presence' as a student in the UK .

Where are you studying?

We calculate your living costs as:

• £900 a month if you are spending more than half of your study time in inner London ; or
• £700 a month if you are spending more than half of your study time outside inner London .

We define 'inner London' as any of the following London boroughs:

• Camden, Islington, Southwark, City of London, Kensington and Chelsea, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Hammersmith and Fulham, Lewisham, Westminster, Haringey or Newham

If you want to check whether your main site of study is in inner London, you can enter your Tier 4 sponsor's postcode at the About my vote website . If do not know the address of of your main site of study, you must ask your Tier 4 sponsor.

Do you have an 'established presence'?

Any student has an established presence studying in the UK if they:

• completed a single course of study lasting at least 6 months during their most recent permission to stay in the UK; or
• are applying to continue studying on a single course in the UK, of which they have completed at least 6 months .

Additionally, the student's current or most recent permission to stay must have been:

• under Tier 4; or
• as a student under the former Immigration Rules that were in force until 30 March 2009; or
• as a postgraduate doctor or dentist.

A student cannot amalgamate 2 or more courses to make up the 6 months' study.

Your current location (inside or outside the UK) does not affect whether you have an established presence here as a student .

How much money do you need?

If you have an established presence, you must show that you have enough money to cover your living costs for:

• two months; or
• the length of your course, if this is less than 2 months.  

If you do not have an established presence, you must show that you have enough money to cover your living costs for:

• 9 months; or
• the length of your course, if this is less than 9 months.

If the length of your course includes a part of a month, we will round the time up to the next month. For example, if a course lasts 7 months and 2 weeks, you must show (unless you have an established presence) that you can pay your living costs for 8 months.