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?
For the
2025–26 academic year, The Northern School of Art will charge tuition fees of
£9,535 for full-time undergraduate degree programmes.
From
1 August 2026, the UK Government has confirmed that the
maximum tuition fee cap for approved (fee cap) providers with a TEF award and an approved Access and Participation Plan (APP) will increase. Subject to the regulations being laid in Parliament and approved, we expect to align our fees with these maximum caps for new and continuing UK undergraduate students as follows:
Planned tuition fees (subject to legislation and regulatory approval)
2026–27 academic year (from 1 August 2026)
For approved (fee cap) providers with TEF and an APP, the maximum tuition fee cap is expected to be:
£9,790 per year for standard full-time undergraduate courses
2027–28 academic year (from 1 August 2027)
For approved (fee cap) providers with TEF and an APP, the maximum tuition fee cap is expected to be:
£10,050 per year for standard full-time undergraduate courses
The government intends to lay the regulations that implement these changes in early 2026. These regulations will be subject to Parliamentary procedure. Final fee levels for future years will be confirmed once this legislation is in place and will not exceed the applicable government fee cap.
Once new entrants have commenced their programme, the School may increase tuition fees for subsequent years of the planned programme (assuming continuation of studies), in line with any increases applied by the UK Government to the maximum tuition fee limits.
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 the value of the tuition fee charged 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:
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 up to 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 Access and Participation Plan (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
As our programmes are practical in nature and involve working with a range of materials, students should expect to incur some additional costs. The amount spent will vary depending on individual choices made in response to project briefs.
Based on information provided by current students, average additional costs are estimated at £50–£150 per module. These costs may include essential books, art and design materials, printmaking and printing, and any required travel to off-campus learning activities.
Optional educational trips, including residential visits and overseas study opportunities, may be offered during the course. Participation in these trips is voluntary, they do not form part of assessed coursework, and they will incur additional costs. Further details, including indicative costs, will be provided at the point such opportunities are offered.
No studio fees are charged for this course. Licensed software, including Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Cloud, is provided at no additional cost.
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
- 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
