Fees, Funding, and Finance

Fee queries

Income Team

• Email: income@northampton.ac.uk
• Telephone: 01604 892327

Funding Queries

• Financial Guidance Team email: money@northampton.ac.uk
• Telephone: 01604 893299
• Blog: Money Matters

Standard Payment Plan

Students can request our standard payment plan during the online registration process you will be able to choose payment plan when you get to the Fee Details step.

During the registration process, the applicant will be asked to pay 25% of the annual fee and additional seven monthly instalments will be set up at the same time. Once you are fully enrolled you will see your instalments in the ‘My Finance’ tab of your Northampton Portal Account. In ‘My Finance’ you will be able to check your payment dates, make a payment and obtain receipt.

By agreeing to the plan, applicants confirm that they understand the following:

• That they ensure that the instalment payment is made on time
• In the event the instalment is not made on time – the student will receive reminder to make the outstanding payment.
• If more than two instalments are missed, the plan will be cancelled and the student will be asked to pay the remaining fee in full.

Payment Plan for applicants with Postgraduate/Doctoral loan funding

During the online registration process, in the ‘Fee Details’ step, applicant will be able to choose payment plan only available to those with Postgraduate/Postdoctoral loans. Choosing this option will split the total yearly fee into three instalments (dates and amounts will be visible once loan option has been selected).

By agreeing to the plan, applicants confirm that they understand the following:

• That students are responsible for prompt payment of their instalments, regardless of how they distributed their loan funds.

*Failure to fully pay any of the three instalments within 60 days will result in suspension of their enrolment, which may lead to termination at a later date if your instalment is not settled in full.

The University is obliged to inform the Student Loan Company of any change of circumstances in a student’s enrolment status. This will affect future loan payments to you and the SLC repayment terms.

Requests for payment receipt

• I paid by Flywire: you should receive an email confirmation from Flywire but we will also sent out a confirmation of received funds once we process them.
• I used an alternative payment method: if you have paid by Bank transfer the University Income Office will sent our a confirmation of received funds once we process them.

I am new international applicant that has paid a deposit but I have not received my CAS

New applicants using Applicants Portal will be asked to pay their Deposit to start the CAS process. The payment will reflect on the Applicant Portal once it has been received by the University. The status on applicant Portal will be changed to “Paid” and Deposit/Prepayment tile will turn blue. If you have paid by Convera, this should reflect on the portal within 7 working days from the moment Convera received your funds.

Please only contact Income if it has been more than 7 days and your tracking information confirms that the funds have been delivered to the University.

Please note that you will be automatically notified of the progress of your CAS via email and asked to approve a draft CAS once all necessary checks have been completed. Please note that only a CAS team can inform you on the progress and unfortunately other teams will not be able to advise you.

I have a financial sanction on my account – what do I need to do?

New applicants: If you have been advised that you have a financial sanction and cannot complete your enrolment then this is most likely because you have not paid your fees or advised us how you will settle them. Please refer to the Payment option section above and follow the instructions.

Returning or existing students: If you have been advised that you have a financial sanction:

• you cannot complete your enrolment because you have not paid your fees or advised us how you will settle them. Please refer to the Payment option section above and follow the instructions.
• you are an existing student, and your NILE access has been blocked: you may have missed your tuition fee instalment. Please contact Credit Control to discuss, you can also refer to our Credit Control Page (link) for more information on consequences of non -payment.

Refunds

If you have withdrawn or taken a study break and have been advised that you are due a refund or alternatively have any other overpayment you can apply for a refund. Usually a member of staff will provide you with appropriate link to the online Refund Form.

Please note that the original payments will be refunded back to the original payer the same way they have been received.

How Withdrawal or Study can affect my fees

Please note that withdrawal/study break does not automatically mean you are due a refund of the fees you have paid, or that you do not need to pay the outstanding fees. The University follows Withdrawal Policy in all cases. Please refer to our Withdrawal Policy.

What is Shariah Compliant Student Financing?

Shariah-compliant student financing adheres to Islamic principles by avoiding interest-based transactions, as interest (Riba) is prohibited in Shariah law. Instead, it utilises alternative structures such as Qard al-Hasan which provides interest-free loans to students, fostering accessibility without compromising religious principles.

These Shariah-compliant financing mechanisms prioritise ethical and responsible financial practices, ensuring that students can pursue education without violating Islamic principles.

Resources for Shariah Compliant Student Financing

• UK Fatwa Council on Student Loans

Islamic scholars and experts in Shariah law have been examining government loans to determine their compliance with Islamic principles. Some prominent scholars say it is that these loans are permissible under Islamic law due to their distinct structure compared to conventional loans. Unlike traditional loans that accrue interest, these government loans require repayment only when the borrower begins earning a sufficient salary.

Additionally, the repayment is automatically deducted from the borrower’s paycheck, mitigating the risk of missed payments. Find out more from the British Fatwa Council’s views on student loans.

• Aziz Foundation Scholarships for Muslim Students

The Aziz Foundation is a UK-based charity that provides scholarships for Muslim students pursuing postgraduate studies in Britain. These scholarships cover tuition fees and living expenses and are awarded based on academic merit, leadership potential, and a commitment to community service. Additionally, the foundation offers mentoring and networking opportunities to support students in their academic and professional endeavours. Through its scholarship program, the Aziz Foundation facilitates higher education opportunities for Muslim students, enabling them to excel academically and make meaningful contributions to society.

• Al Rayan Bank Shariah Compliant Loans

Al Rayan Bank (formerly Islamic Bank of Britain) is a UK-based Islamic bank providing Sharia-compliant financial services. They offer student finance solutions tailored to Muslim students in Britain, adhering to Islamic principles such as the prohibition of interest (Riba). These Sharia-compliant options involve profit-sharing agreements or partnerships, enabling students to access funding for education while aligning with their religious beliefs. Through their services, Rayan Bank facilitates higher education opportunities for Muslim students in Britain, ensuring they can pursue their academic goals in a manner consistent with Islamic finance principles.

• National Zakat Foundation

The National Zakat Foundation (NZF) in the UK aids Muslim students by providing Zakat funds, interest-free loans, scholarships, and financial counselling. This assistance helps students cover educational expenses and manage finances, ensuring they can pursue their academic goals without financial burden.

If you have a sponsor (a recognised body, other than your parent/s or Student Finance, that is paying all or part of your tuition fees or living costs) or hold a scholarship from any external source, please provide us with documented evidence of this during the application process.

Sponsors for Home students – we are now switching to the Purchase Order as our preferred sponsorship evidence.

• If you are a student* – please approach your Line Manager/HR for advice on how to get a Purchase Order raised for your course fees.
• If you are a sponsor – and you need to set up UON as a supplier and need further information, please contact income@northampton.ac.uk.

In exceptional circumstances we can still accept a dated sponsor letter on a company-headed paper that includes*:

• student details: the student’s name, address, applicant/student number, course, academic year and the exact amount of sponsorship.
• sponsor details: business name, address, and contact email address
• purchase order number if applicable

Sponsors for international students are required to make a deposit payment of £7000 for the CAS letter to be issued. If the sponsorship letter is uploaded we will accept that however the deposit check will no be passed until we receive a deposit payment.

Sponsors can pay in advance, however, once the sponsorship letter is approved, the sponsor will receive an invoice once the student has enrolled, and they will have 28 days to settle it**.

Sponsors can find more information on how to pay on our Commercial Payments page.

*New applicants will be able to provide their Sponsor details in the Applicants Portal by going to “My Sponsors” section.

Alternatively, if you are an existing student and you have no access to this please email: income@northampton.ac.uk.

**Please note that if sponsorship is cancelled students will be re-invoiced for their fees.