Postgraduate Application Fees

Has anyone ever questioned the £75 application fee required to apply to a postgraduate course at some universities like UCL or the University of Nottingham? It's outrageous as its a large sum of money to some people and does not guarantee you a place. It's to cover the cost for the administration team to look over your application apparantly. However, some universities like SOAS does not charge a fee at all.

Considering these rising fees overall, a MA could cost £9020 or £18,020 for international students, shouldn't that cover enough?

Does anyone else think they should scrap the £75 fee?

Original post by taromokoluna

Has anyone ever questioned the £75 application fee required to apply to a postgraduate course at some universities like UCL or the University of Nottingham? It's outrageous as its a large sum of money to some people and does not guarantee you a place. It's to cover the cost for the administration team to look over your application apparantly. However, some universities like SOAS does not charge a fee at all.

Considering these rising fees overall, a MA could cost £9020 or £18,020 for international students, shouldn't that cover enough?

Does anyone else think they should scrap the £75 fee?

It's simply an economic mechanism to stop applicants firing off dozens of applications when, in reality, they can only take up one offer.

The universities that apply a fee are those that are heavily oversubscribed and need to ensure the quality of applicants is a little more 'self selecting' into those that that have a well considered interest in the course and put in the appropriate effort to that specific application.

Perhaps you should also question a) why some universities don't need to apply an application fee and b) how many applications you need to make and how well you tailor them?

Reply 2

Duncan2012

19

No. It weeds out the timewasters. It's not "outrageous" - you need to get some perspective.

Perhaps they could refund it if you end up at that uni. But why would they do that when they don't have to?

Reply 3

beautifulbigmacs

19

A uni that charges someone to apply to them goes against what I stand for. I'd boycott any uni that operated in this way on the basis that I wouldn't want to go to a uni that operates in a way that doesn't sit well with my principles.*

Reply 4

taromokoluna

OP

It stops so many people from applying who can't really afford to spend that sum amount of money to apply (or puts them in more financial struggle if they do) It IS outrageous to those with lower incomes. I understand that they need to weed out timewasters but £75 is a lot of money. It's not a deposit so it won't be given back if you have accepted the offer.

Reply 5

Duncan2012

19

Original post by taromokoluna

It stops so many people from applying who can't really afford to spend that sum amount of money to apply (or puts them in more financial struggle if they do) It IS outrageous to those with lower incomes. I understand that they need to weed out timewasters but £75 is a lot of money. It's not a deposit so it won't be given back if you have accepted the offer.

Please point me towards some statistics which show how many people have not applied to a postgrad uni because they can't afford to. For a 21-24 year old on minimum wage £75 is less than 12 hours work. That is certainly not outrageous.

If you're not prepared to invest in your own future to the amount of less than 2 days wages there are still plenty of unis where you can apply which don't have an application fee.

Reply 6

username1111043

3

I paid a total of £135 for 2 master's applications, it is pricey compared to the cost of undergrad applications and might put people off. I like the idea of the cost of application being refunded to students who take up a place at the university.

Postgraduate Application Fees

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