UK Study Costs and Scholarships for Bangladeshi Students: A Parent's Guide

If your son or daughter in Bangladesh is planning to study in the UK, the first question at home is usually money. This guide sets out the main UK study costs for Bangladeshi students in 2026–27, explains which figures are fixed by the UK Government and which vary by university, and looks at two scholarships that Bangladeshi applicants can apply for.

Every amount below comes from GOV.UK, the British Council's Study UK site or the scholarship body's own website. Fees and rules change, so always check the official page before you transfer money or book anything.

The main UK study costs for Bangladeshi students

It helps to split the budget into two parts. The first part is costs set by the UK Government, which are the same for every student. The second part is costs set by universities and landlords, which vary widely.

Costs set by the UK Government:

• The Student visa application fee
• The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
• The money your child must show for living costs when applying for the visa
• A tuberculosis (TB) test, which is required for applicants from Bangladesh

Costs that vary:

• Tuition fees, set by each university for each course
• Accommodation, food, transport and everyday spending
• Flights and travel to and from Bangladesh

Tuition fees: what to expect

Tuition is normally the largest single cost. UK universities set their own fees for international students, and the fee depends on the course, the level of study and the university.

The British Council's Study UK cost guide gives these broad ranges for international students:

• Undergraduate courses: about £11,400 to £38,000 a year
• Postgraduate courses: about £9,000 to £30,000 a year

These are wide ranges. Always use the fee printed on the university's own course page for the year your child will start.

Why a one-year master's can reduce the total cost

Many UK taught master's degrees take one year of full-time study. Study UK notes that this can cost less overall than a longer programme, because there is one year of fees and one year of living costs rather than two. For many Bangladeshi families this is an important point when comparing the UK with other destinations.

Student visa costs

Your child will apply for a UK Student visa once they have an unconditional offer and a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). A CAS is an electronic reference number the university issues when it has formally accepted the student; the visa application cannot be made without it.

Visa application fee

According to the Home Office fees table that takes effect on 8 October 2026, a Student visa application made from outside the UK costs £558. Optional priority and super priority services are available at extra cost (£500 and £1,000 respectively outside the UK), but they are not required.

Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

The IHS is a payment that gives visa holders access to the National Health Service (NHS) while they are in the UK. It is paid online as part of the visa application.

GOV.UK states that the IHS for students is £776 per year. How much your child pays depends on the length of their visa, not just the length of the course. For example, if any part of the visa is more than six months but less than a year, a full year's charge applies. Use the GOV.UK calculator to find the exact figure once the visa length is known.

TB test

Bangladesh is on the GOV.UK list of countries where a TB test is needed. Applicants coming to the UK for six months or more must be tested at a clinic approved by the Home Office. The certificate is valid for six months from the date of the chest x-ray, so plan the timing with the visa application in mind.

How much money for living costs?

For the visa, your child must show that they have enough money to pay any outstanding tuition fees for the first year plus a set amount for living costs. This is often called the maintenance or financial requirement.

According to GOV.UK's Student visa money page, the current living-cost amounts are:

• £1,529 a month for courses in London
• £1,171 a month for courses outside London
• Up to a maximum of nine months

The money must have been held for at least 28 days in a row, and that 28-day period must end within 31 days of the visa application date.

The amounts rise from 30 November 2026

The UK Government's Statement of Changes HC 584 raises these amounts for applications made on or after 30 November 2026:

• London: from £1,529 to £1,570 a month
• Outside London: from £1,171 to £1,203 a month

As a simple worked example: for a nine-month requirement outside London, an application made on or after 30 November 2026 would need to show £1,203 × 9 = £10,827 for living costs, on top of any unpaid first-year tuition. In London the same calculation gives £14,130. Your child's own figure depends on their course, any fees or accommodation deposit already paid to the university, and the date they apply. Our earlier article explains the 30 November change in more detail.

What living in the UK actually costs

The visa amount is a legal minimum to show, not a full budget. Study UK suggests students without dependants should expect roughly £1,300 to £1,400 a month in London and £900 to £1,300 a month elsewhere in the UK. Rent is usually the biggest part, so the choice of city and type of accommodation makes a real difference.

Can students work while studying?

Under the Immigration Rules (Appendix Student, ST 26.1), a student on a full-time degree-level course at a university with a track record of compliance can generally work up to 20 hours a week during term time and full time outside term time. Families should not rely on part-time earnings to meet visa or tuition costs, and every student should check the work conditions printed on their own visa.

Scholarships for Bangladeshi students

Scholarships are competitive and no family should count on one. They can, however, make a large difference. Two well-known UK schemes are open to applicants from Bangladesh.

Chevening Scholarships

Chevening is the UK Government's international scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It supports one-year master's degrees at UK universities.

According to Chevening's eligibility guidance, applicants must:

• Commit to returning to their home country for at least two years after the scholarship ends
• Hold an undergraduate degree that qualifies them for a UK master's programme
• Have at least two years' work experience after their undergraduate degree, equivalent to 2,800 hours
• Apply to three different eligible UK university courses

Chevening states that the award covers tuition fees, a monthly living allowance, economy travel to and from the UK for the scholar, the scholar's visa application cost, arrival and departure allowances, and a contribution of up to £75 towards TB testing where required.

Timing: applications for 2027–28 Chevening Scholarships in Bangladesh are now closed. Chevening's application timeline for that cycle shows applications opening in August and closing in October, with interviews from March to April and results from mid-June. If your child is thinking about a later year, the Chevening Bangladesh page is the place to watch for the next round. Because of the work-experience rule, Chevening suits graduates with a few years of professional experience rather than recent school leavers.

GREAT Scholarships

GREAT Scholarships are run by the British Council with UK universities. For 2026–27, the Study UK GREAT Scholarships page for Bangladesh lists awards of £10,000 towards tuition fees for one-year taught postgraduate courses at nine UK universities:

• Cranfield University
• Keele University
• Leeds Arts University
• The University of Manchester
• Ulster University
• University of East Anglia
• University of Glasgow
• University of Hull
• University of Portsmouth

Applicants must hold a Bangladeshi passport, be permanently resident in Bangladesh, hold an undergraduate degree and meet the university's English language requirement. Deadlines are set by each university. As one example, the University of Portsmouth's GREAT Scholarship page set a deadline of 31 May 2026 for September 2026 entry. Watch the Study UK page for details of future rounds.

University scholarships

Many UK universities also offer their own scholarships or fee discounts for international students. Amounts and rules differ, so check the funding page of each university on your child's shortlist. You can also browse our scholarship search.

A simple checklist for parents

1. Shortlist courses and note the exact tuition fee from each university's own page.
2. Decide on a city early, because London and non-London living costs differ.
3. Add the visa fee, the IHS for the full visa length and the TB test to your budget.
4. Plan when the maintenance money will be in the account, so it is held for at least 28 days before the visa application.
5. Check scholarship deadlines a full year ahead, especially for Chevening.
6. Keep every bank letter, receipt and offer letter in one folder.

How EduQuantica can help

EduQuantica is a UCAS registered, British Council certified agent, and our UK university admissions support is free for students. We can help your child compare courses and costs at our partner universities and prepare strong applications. UK Student visa applications are handled by our partner, Internations Legal LLP, an SRA-regulated solicitor firm; we do not give immigration advice ourselves, and the official rules are always on GOV.UK.

If you would like to talk through your child's plans and budget, Book a free 30-minute consultation with our team, or read more about studying abroad from Bangladesh.