If you are a resident in England and studying for an undergraduate degree for the first time, government loans are available from Student Finance to cover your tuition fees and help towards your living costs.
How much does my degree cost?
The Northern School of Art will charge tuition fees of £9,535 for full-time undergraduate degree programmes in the 2025-26 academic year.
Once new entrants have commenced their programme, the School may increase tuition fees for subsequent years of the planned programme (assuming continuation of studies), subject to any increases applied by the UK Government to the maximum tuition fee limits.
To give you an indication of the likely scale of any future increases, the UK government has suggested that future increases to the fee cap may be linked to the RPI-X (Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments).
If you have any questions regarding fees or funding, please contact our Admissions team at
admissions@northernart.ac.uk.
Do I pay fees in full at the beginning of the programme?
You are not expected to pay your fees in full at the beginning of the programme. New full-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £9,535 to cover the cost of tuition fees; the amount you can get does not depend on your household income.
If you are not eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan or you have any queries about the payment of fees, you can contact Student Finance at
studentfinance@northernart.ac.uk, who can offer advice and guidance. For more information on the alternative types of support that might be available to you, read our Money Matters guide.
Do I get any help with living costs?
Maintenance loans are available for each year of study to help with living costs such as food, accommodation and travel. These are normally only applicable to UK residents, for more information on eligibility; you can visit the
Student Finance website. There is also information in the
Undergraduate student finance and support section of the UCAS website.
The amount you can borrow depends on where you live and study, and your household income. For more information and to find out what support you could get, please use the
Student Finance Calculator.
Useful links:
MONEY SAVING EXPERT
STUDENT FINANCE ENGLAND
STUDENT LOANS COMPANY
UCAS
Financial Support provided by the School
Upon enrolment, the School offers a range of financial supports, in the form of bursaries and grants, to students from different underrepresented backgrounds:
Maintenance Grant – Students in receipt of the maximum maintenance loan will be eligible for a grant: £500 in year one, followed by £300 in years two and three.
Tees Valley Progression Award – Students under 21 from low participation areas in the Tees Valley (POLAR4 Q1) will be eligible for a one-off £500 award in year one.
Mature Students Award – Students aged 21+ who haven’t studied in higher education before will be eligible for a one-off £500 award in year one.
Care Experienced Bursary – Students who have spent time in care will receive £500 per year of study.
Alumni Discount – From 2025, undergraduate alumni will receive a 20% discount on postgraduate programmes at the School.
Students may receive up to £1,000 financial support in any academic year, subject to 70% attendance and progression/completion criteria.
This information will be published on the School’s APP webpage, and available in accessible formats on request. The Students' Union will also play a role in reviewing interim APP reports.
Student Protection Plan
The Student Protection Plan, approved by the Office for Students (OfS), outlines how the School will protect your education if a risk arises. It details the communication procedures and measures taken.
Other costs
No studio fees are charged. Licensed software such as MS Office and Adobe Creative Cloud is included. Some additional costs may occur for materials, printing, and project-specific expenses.
Approximate additional costs per year:
Level 4 – £120 to £670
Level 5 – £110 to £830
Level 6 – £80 to £940
Costs are typically higher in years two and three. Many students secure sponsorships or participate in fundraising.
Trips
Students can take part in educational trips in the UK and overseas. Costs are subsidised for curriculum-based trips. Examples:
- £10 contribution for UK travel
- £100+ for London
- £360–£400 for European cities like Paris or Rome
Creative Practice Package
All students who enrol receive:
- Home licence access to Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, After Effects, etc.)
- Home licence access to Microsoft Office 365
- First-year workshop materials
- Specialist software access depending on programme
- Subsidised international trips
- Free access to industry-standard equipment (cameras, video gear, etc.)
- Access to IT, iMac suites, Cintiqs, ceramics, textiles, sewing, sound booths, animation, darkrooms, 3D printers, laser cutters, woodworking, and more
Creative UK
As a student at The Northern School of Art, you can join
Creative UK for free.
This membership gives you access to:
- A UK-wide creative network
- Industry news and insights
- Collaboration opportunities
- National and local events
- Job listings and research updates
