Finance
Finances as an International Medical Student at the University of Warwick
As an international student studying medicine at the University of Warwick, finances can be a particular concern. On this page, we try to break down financial responsibilities, sources of support, and ways of effective budgeting.
Tuition Fees
The international fees for courses (including medicine) at the University of Warwick are set by the University, not the government. The cost of this fee increases every year by approximately 5–10%. This contrasts with home fees, where students pay a set amount determined by the government each year.
An outline of the tuition fees at Warwick is as follows (for the academic year starting 2025–2026):
- 1st year: £30,670
- Years 2, 3, 4: £53,460 (each year)
While the cost of international fees is set by the University, the status of whether someone qualifies for home fees or international fees is determined by the government.
The UKCISA (United Kingdom Council for International Student Affairs) is a useful organisation/resource for finding out if you qualify for home fees and what your fee status is.
You can access the UKCISA page here and the UKCISA assessment tool here.
Once you have an idea about which fee status you qualify for, you can also contact Student Fees at studentfees@warwick.ac.uk, or call the Student Fees Department at 024 7652 847 to submit a fees assessment form or enquire about any potential changes in fee status.
It is not necessarily the case that if you start as an international student at the University of Warwick you will remain in that status throughout your degree. If your status changes (by law), you may be eligible for home fees the next academic year.
NHS Bursary and Eligibility
The NHS Bursary provides funding for eligible medical or dental students who normally live in England.
If you are eligible, the NHS bursary can give you one (or more) of the following:
- A non–means-tested bursary
- A means-tested bursary based on parental, spouse, partner, or civil partner’s income
- Tuition fees contribution
- Additional allowances depending on individual circumstances
You may be eligible if you are studying to be a doctor or dentist and:
- You are on an undergraduate course lasting 5 to 6 years
- You are on a graduate course lasting 3 to 4 years
- You are on a course that is in the Office for Students’ medical or dental student intake
- You have already received the NHS bursary in a previous year
To be eligible for the NHS bursary, you must be ordinarily resident in England on the first academic day of your course (medicine) and be eligible for public funds as per your visa.
As such, it is unlikely that international medical students would be eligible for the NHS bursary. However, there are circumstances in which international medical students may qualify if they meet certain criteria. If you have queries about the NHS bursary, including eligibility, you can contact the NHS Bursary Office at 0300 330 1345 or check out their FAQs.
Day-to-Day Finances
Aside from the tuition fees that one would pay as an international student, there are additional financial concerns such as accommodation costs, grocery expenses, travel expenses, social events, and other miscellaneous financial costs.
Below you will find an overview of financial concerns as a medical student at Warwick, in addition to links to specific student pages on accommodation, groceries, and travel expenses.
Accomodation
All first-year, overseas fee-paying students are eligible for residence in the University Halls of Residence. These accommodation options range from shared flats and study rooms with shared bathrooms and kitchens, to ensuite rooms with shared kitchens, or studio flats. For a full range of on-campus accommodation options offered by the University of Warwick, you can check out the Warwick accommodation page here.
There are also private accommodation options, including sharing student housing with other medical students in your year, other years, or students from other courses. Options for shared student housing can be found on the following pages.
Other private accommodation options include private providers such as (and more):
For more accommodation information, you can check out the Warwick Students’ Union page on accommodation.
Depending on which accommodation option you choose, the costs can range from £400–£500 a month (shared student housing) to £800–£1,000 a month (private accommodation options). Please click on the above corresponding sites for respective student
Groceries
Groceries and living expenses can be a major consideration when thinking of day-to-day costs.
For a more expansive overview of weekly groceries, please check out our Groceries page here. However, on this current page, we aim to provide an overview of how smart grocery shopping—especially for international students—can help with finances.
Doing a weekly grocery shop from one of the affordable superstores (ALDI, Tesco, or Lidl) can cost you £30–£40 a week to ensure that you have a reasonable supply of healthy foods, basics, and snacks. In addition, as an international student, doing a monthly shop at one of the culture-specific food stores (Indian, Korean, Chinese) can cost around £10–£20 more per week to supplement your basic shopping with items specific to your culture.
There are also other grocery/ingredient sources such as HelloFresh, which have their own subscription costs and benefits. You can check out their individual sites for details.
In addition to weekly grocery costs, there may be times when you are on campus, in trusts, or at GPs without a readymade meal due to the hectic nature of the course. In these situations, you may need to purchase a sandwich, meal deal, or snacks from a nearby store. The cost of these can range from £3.50 to £5 per purchase.
It’s a good idea to set a reasonable budget for how much you expect to spend in a week so that you can prepare and plan accordingly.
Transportation
Getting around Coventry and Warwickshire can be tricky, especially as an international student. Getting to placements in hospitals, university, or GP practices is accessible by public transport. You can check out more specific details on transport through our dedicated page.
However, here is an overview of the costs associated with public transportation around Warwickshire.
Getting around by bus can be a cheap and affordable option.
The buses section on our Transport page gives a more comprehensive insight into the different bus services available.
The general cost of a single trip varies from £2–£3, while a day ticket costs £4–£5. There are also weekly bus passes you can purchase for £15–£18 that cover weekly travel.
Social Events and Miscellaneous Costs
In addition to travel costs, living costs (including groceries), and accommodation costs, there are other miscellaneous expenses you should aim to budget for when studying Graduate Entry Medicine at Warwick:
- Societies Membership: Joining a society requires a one-time membership fee of around £15–£20. Full details can be found on the Students’ Union page.
- Sports Clubs and Gyms: Options include JD Gyms, PureGym, and the University of Warwick Sports Complex. Please check their respective pages for prices and subscriptions.
- Social and Society Events: Many societies, including MedSoc (Medical Society), host balls, pub quizzes, themed nights, and trips. These have additional costs. Please check the MedSoc page for details.
- Weekly Meal Out: Many medical students celebrate the end of the week with a meal out. This usually costs £10–£20 per meal.
- Emergency Funds: It is wise to keep £100 a month set aside for emergencies or unexpected expenses.
Summary
After budgeting for accommodation, groceries, social expenses, and emergency funds, we can estimate that the living costs at the University of Warwick amount to £1,000–£1,400 a month, in addition to tuition fees.
It is worthwhile to create your own budget based on your personal needs to understand your monthly living expenses and budget appropriately.