Tuition fees
Postgraduate research students are required to pay full tuition fees for the duration of their normal period of registration and should aim to submit their thesis within that period. Tuition fees are collected at the beginning of each year. If a student goes beyond their normal period of registration and requires a further year of registration, a continuation fee is charged instead of a tuition fee. If a student submits after passing the minimum period of registration, but before completing the normal period of registration, e.g. during the 3rd year of a full-time PhD, a reduction/refund of tuition fees will be calculated on a pro-rata (monthly) basis. Such reductions/refunds are applied based on submission of the thesis alone. Full details of the University's fee rates are available via the SSiD web pages.
Payment of tuition fees
Tuition fees for sponsored students are paid direct to the University by the sponsoring body. The holders of University scholarships or Research Council scholarships which cover tuition fees are regarded as sponsored students for this purpose.
Students who intend to pay their fees from their own funds, funds over which they have control, or through a bank loan, are regarded as self-financed. Self-financed students may choose either to pay their fees in full at registration (a prompt payment discount is offered to full-time self-financed students) or by instalment. Full details of the University's payment plans are available via the SSiD web pages.
Continuation fees
The continuation fee is charged on a pro-rata basis starting from the end of the normal tuition fee paying period of registration until the submission of the thesis or the end of the registration period, whichever is earlier. In order to encourage students to submit their theses in good time, the continuation fee is waived within the first three months of the end of the tuition fee paying period if students submit within this period. Continuation fees are collected either at the end of the additional year of registration, or at the point at which a student submits their thesis - whichever occurs first.
For example, if a student on a standard PhD with a normal period of registration of 3 years submits at the end of the fourth year, s/he will be required to pay the full continuation fee. However, if the student submits before that date, the continuation fee will be charged on a pro-rata basis. If the student submits within the first three calendar months of their fourth year, there will be no continuation fee to pay. However, as soon as the student enters month four of their fourth year, s/he will be required to pay the relevant continuation fee for four months. This scale then increases each month so that if, for example, a student submits six months into the fourth year, s/he would pay half the annual continuation fee.
There are no routine grounds for fee waivers in respect of continuation fees, but the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research & Innovation will consider cases put forward by students who feel there are exceptional reasons why they should not have to pay additional fees. All cases should be channelled via the department to Research & Innovation Services for consideration by the appropriate Faculty Officer in the first instance.
All fees can be paid at the Income Office, Level 6, University House by cash, personal cheque, bankers draft, credit or debit card. Payments to be made by credit/debit card can be made through the Online Payment System. Queries regarding payments should be addressed to: studentcustomers@sheffield.ac.uk.
Students who have completed their required period of registration for full fee-paying purposes are entitled to apply to the Student Services Information Desk for an extension of their UCard (subject to status).
Fees in 2011-12
- Continuation/Extension £348
- Resubmission without oral £235
- Resubmission with oral £312
- Staff Candidate submission £390
(Please note that these fees are increased annually)