If you are planning to apply for a postgraduate taught (Master’s) programme at Imperial College London, one important item to be aware of is the application fee. This post explains what the fee is, which programmes require it (and which do not), and how you may be able to apply for a fee waiver if you are facing financial hardship.

What is the Application Fee?

For most taught Master’s programmes at Imperial, an application fee applies. The fee helps cover some of the administrative and staffing costs associated with processing a large number of applications.

The key points to know:

1. For courses starting in the academic year 2025-26 (excluding those at the Business School), the application fee is £80 for taught Master’s applications.
2. For courses starting in 2026-27, the fee is £90 for all Master’s (MSc, MPH) applications outside of the Business School.
3. For the Business School MSc applications, the fee is £125.
4. For MBA applications at the Business School the fee is £150.

Some taught postgraduate courses do not require an application fee:

1. MRes courses (for academic year 2025-26) have no application fee.
2. Postgraduate Certificates (PGCert) and Postgraduate Diplomas (PGDip) do not require the application fee.
3. Postgraduate doctoral research programmes (PhD, EngD) do not require the application fee.

The fee is per application, not per course if you apply for two courses in one application cycle (where allowed).

There is also a cancellation/refund policy: if you decide to withdraw your application within 14 days of the payment confirmation, you may request a full refund.

How to Apply for an Application Fee Waiver

Imperial recognises that application fees can be a barrier for some applicants, and so they provide a fee waiver option for those facing financial hardship.

Eligibility for a fee waiver

You may be eligible for a fee waiver if you fulfil one or more of the following circumstances:

1. You received full state support for maintenance (living expenses) or financial support because of hardship as an undergraduate within the last four years.
2. You are currently receiving state benefits for reasons of financial hardship.
3. You received a scholarship or bursary for financial hardship within the last four years.
4. You are aged 21-25, have recently completed undergraduate study, and are estranged from or have no living parents or legal guardians.
5. You hold a particular UK immigration status (for example: humanitarian protection, asylum seeker, victim of domestic abuse with ILR) etc.
6. You are a resident of a country that is classified as ‘low-income’ by the World Bank or is in the DAC least-developed countries list, and rely on established scholarship schemes to fund UK study.
7. You live in an area of social deprivation in the UK (IMD quintile 1) and your family income is low.
8. There may be other circumstances (temporary hardship, recent loss of employment, personal disruption) which the university will consider if documented.

How to apply and timing

1. You must apply for the waiver before submitting your application for your postgraduate course. Requests submitted after the application has already been processed will not be considered.
2. You should complete the Application Fee Waiver Form (a Word document, about 35 KB) and send it with supporting evidence to the specified email address (appfees@imperial.ac.uk).
3. If the waiver is approved, you can submit your programme application without needing to pay the fee.

What You Should Do

1. Check whether your chosen programme requires an application fee (many do) or is exempt.
2. If you believe you cannot pay the fee, act early: complete the waiver request form ahead of submitting your course application.
3. Gather relevant evidence for your waiver application: e.g., proof of benefits, scholarship, or circumstances of hardship.
4. Keep records: if you pay the fee and later find you should have been eligible for a waiver, it may be too late to claim it.
5. Budget for the fee if you’re required to pay — this is an upfront cost for your application, although relatively modest compared to tuition.
6. Remember: paying the fee does not guarantee admission — it simply allows the application to be processed.

References

1. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/apply/postgraduate-taught/application-process/application-fee/
2. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/apply/postgraduate-taught/application-process/application-fee/application-fee-waiver/