How to use this calculator
- Choose whether your course is in London or outside — the monthly living figure differs
- Enter your course length in months, total tuition, and any tuition already paid
- Add any accommodation money already paid directly to your university (capped at one month)
- Add dependants if your partner or children are applying with you
- Read the minimum funds figure, then keep that balance untouched for 28 consecutive days before you apply
The UK does not ask for a vague round number. The rule adds two components: tuition you have not yet paid, and living costs of £1,529 per month if your course is in inner London or £1,171 per month anywhere else in the UK. The living component is counted for the length of your course, capped at nine months — so even a 12-month master's course is assessed as £13,761 (London) or £10,539 (outside).
Two details break most applications. First, accommodation already paid to your university can be deducted, but only up to the value of one month of the living allowance — paying a full semester upfront does not remove a full semester from the calculation. Second, a course of 5 months and 2 days counts as 6 months: any part-month is rounded up, never down.
The money itself must behave. UK Visas and Immigration looks for a balance that stays above the threshold for 28 consecutive days, and the statement closing that period must be no older than 31 days when you apply. One dip below the line on day 14 restarts nothing — it disqualifies the whole period. If your money is scattered across accounts, consolidate it early; a large deposit the week before applying is a classic refusal trigger.
Rate change notice: from 30 November 2026 the living figures rise to £1,570 (London) and £1,203 (outside London), making the nine-month caps £14,130 and £10,827. Applications submitted on or before 29 November 2026 use the figures in this calculator.
What the money must look like
Funds can be held in cash in a bank account in your or your parent's name. Fixed deposits count if the bank confirms they can be released. Crypto, stocks and property do not count. If using a parent's account you need their birth certificate and a signed letter of consent.
Education loans from an official financial institution are accepted, but the loan letter must confirm the funds are available to you specifically and cover the full amount.
Common refusal reasons this calculator helps avoid
Quoting the pre-2025 figures of £1,334/£1,023 that still circulate on agency blogs — roughly 15% too low, which makes the whole budget collapse.
Counting the accommodation deduction at full value instead of the one-month cap.
Letting the balance dip below the threshold once during the 28-day window, or submitting a bank statement older than 31 days.