Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees for UK students joining the ESO in 2022/23 will be £9,250 per year.
No Upfront Costs
UK applicants, studying at university level for the first time, can apply for a loan from the UK government to cover the cost of tuition fees. The video below provides a quick guide – you can find more useful information on the Student Finance England YouTube Channel.
As a new student, starting a degree course in 2022, you are able to apply for student finance from March 2022 onwards. You do not have to have a confirmed university place in order to apply for a loan. Simply apply using the details of your first choice institution – if necessary this can be amended online at a later date. Please be aware that tuition fees are paid directly to University of Plymouth:
University Code: P60
Course Code (ESO): B310
Campus Code: Main site
Of course you do not have to take out a government loan and may pay the fees from your own resources – see below for details of our Payment Plans.
Please note: The following information relates to applications made through Student Finance England. If you are from Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales your application will be dealt with by other Student Finance organisations. Visit www.gov.uk/apply-for-student-finance for further information.
Help With Living Costs
UK applicants who have not studied at university level before can apply for support to help with living costs. This is available in the form of loans and the amount available depends on your living circumstances and household income. For further information visit www.gov.uk/student-finance/loans-and-grants. Extra support may be available to students who:
• Have children or adults dependent on them
• Have a disability, long-term health condition, mental-health condition or specific learning difficulty
Visit the Student Loans Company website for further information.
ESO Bursaries
The ESO has introduced a bursary of £300 for students joining the M.Ost programme who are in receipt of the maximum maintenance loan from the UK Government. Eligible students will receive the bursary at the start of Term 2 to help towards the cost of books, clinic coats and diagnostic equipment, all of which are required for the course.
To register for the bursary, eligible students will need to bring with them on enrolment day a copy of the letter from the Student Loan Company confirming they are in receipt of the maximum maintenance loan. A one-off payment of £300 will be made on completion of the first term.
Student Loan Repayments
If you’re a full-time student, you’ll be due to start repaying your loan the April after you finish or leave your course. You’ll only start making repayments if your income is over the repayment threshold, which is currently £27,295 a year, or £2,274 a month, in the UK*. If your income falls below the repayment threshold, your repayments will stop and only restart when your income is over the threshold again. Any outstanding contributions will be written off after 30 years. You can also make additional voluntary repayments to SLC at any time.
The table below illustrates monthly repayment levels relative to earnings. You’ll repay 9% of your income over the repayment threshold.
| Income each year before tax | Monthly income before tax | Approximate monthly repayment |
| £27,295 | £2,274 | £0 |
| £28,000 | £2,333 | £5 |
| £29,500 | £2,458 | £16 |
| £31,000 | £2,583 | £27 |
| £33,000 | £2,750 | £42 |
MoneySavingExpert website also provides a useful and user-friendly calculator tool.
* The threshold for graduates working overseas varies from country to country – visit www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk for current information.
Repayment Through Self-Assessment
Most osteopaths work on a self-employed basis and the tax rules for the self-employed are different to those who work for somebody else; you must register with HM Revenue & Customs and complete a Self Assessment Tax Return form at the end of each year, in which you disclose how much profit you have made. Once you show an annual profit above the threshold you will commence repayment of your student loan as illustrated above.
Many of our students, once they have graduated, move to practice in other countries. Should you leave the UK for more than 3 months, the Student Loan Company (SLC) will ask you to complete an Overseas Income Assessment Form to enable them to calculate how much you need to repay.
Interest Payments
You will be charged interest on your loan from when you receive your first payment until it has been repaid in full. The interest will be compounded (e.g. added to the total amount you owe) every month. The most accurate and up to date information on interest rates can be found at www.slc.co.uk/repayment.
Please Note
The above information is provided as a general guide. Information about loans and repayments can be found on the Student Loans Company website and it is your responsibility to inform yourself about student finance arrangements.
Payment Plans
If you are paying tuition fees from your own means (ie not through the student loan system) you can pay the fees upfront for the year. You may also choose to pay the annual tuition fee in three instalments. The first payment will be due within 2 weeks of your start on the course, the second in the following January and the third in April.
Other expenditure
If you are a UK student you will need to undertake a Disclosure and Barring (DBS) check during the first week of the course. This will cost £51.60 (as at 1st July 2021).
You will need to purchase diagnostic equipment, treatment couch covers and clinic tops in your first year and can expect to pay around £300 in total.
The ESO is not prescriptive in its recommendation of books. However, you will need to buy some books whilst on the course and we recommend that you set aside approximately £200 for this purpose.
EU/International Applicants
The ESO is recognised globally as a leading osteopathic institution. We pride ourselves on the breadth of our undergraduate programme, preparing graduates for a fulfilling and rewarding career as an independent healthcare practitioner. The ESO International reputation means that students apply from all over the world to study here. Over 40% of our students come from overseas.
The ESO holds a Student Route Sponsor licence, enabling us to issue students with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) – a unique reference number needed to obtain an UK student visa. Please refer to the following website to see what else obtaining a VISA entails and the costs involved: https: //www.gov.uk/student-visa.
Please note: EU, EA and Swiss citizens who move to the UK after 11pm on 31 December 2020 will need to apply for a student visa to study here and will be classed as International Students. To find out more about your immigration status visit the UK Council for International Student affairs – UKCISA.
Further guidance will be available on this page shortly or contact Admissions.
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees for International students joining the ESO in 2022/23 will be £11,000 per year.
Deposit
The ESO will assign a CAS to applicants who have successfully completed the application cycle and have paid a deposit – please contact Admissions to confirm the deposit required for 2022 entry. The deposit acts as part of the annual tuition fee and the amount payable at the time of registration will be reduced accordingly. The deposit is only refundable where the applicant provides evidence that the application for a student visa was not accepted for the year the academic offer was made.
Payment of Tuition Fees
Prospective students will receive comprehensive information about the payment process once they have formally accepted an offer for a place on the course through UCAS.
Other expenditure
You will need to purchase diagnostic equipment, treatment couch covers and clinic tops in your first year and can expect to pay around £300 in total. The ESO is not prescriptive in its recommendation of books. However, you will need to buy some books whilst on the course and we recommend that you set aside approximately £200 for this purpose.
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees for UK students joining the ESO in 2022/23 will be £9,250 per year.
No Upfront Costs
UK applicants, studying at university level for the first time, can apply for a loan from the UK government to cover the cost of tuition fees. The video below provides a quick guide – you can find more useful information on the Student Finance England YouTube Channel.
As a new student, starting a degree course in 2022, you are able to apply for student finance from March 2022 onwards. You do not have to have a confirmed university place in order to apply for a loan. Simply apply using the details of your first choice institution – if necessary this can be amended online at a later date. Please be aware that tuition fees are paid directly to University of Plymouth:
University Code: P60
Course Code (ESO): B310
Campus Code: Main site
Of course you do not have to take out a government loan and may pay the fees from your own resources – see below for details of our Payment Plans.
Please note: The following information relates to applications made through Student Finance England. If you are from Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales your application will be dealt with by other Student Finance organisations. Visit www.gov.uk/apply-for-student-finance for further information.
Help With Living Costs
UK applicants who have not studied at university level before can apply for support to help with living costs. This is available in the form of loans and the amount available depends on your living circumstances and household income. For further information visit www.gov.uk/student-finance/loans-and-grants. Extra support may be available to students who:
• Have children or adults dependent on them
• Have a disability, long-term health condition, mental-health condition or specific learning difficulty
Visit the Student Loans Company website for further information.
ESO Bursaries
The ESO has introduced a bursary of £300 for students joining the M.Ost programme who are in receipt of the maximum maintenance loan from the UK Government. Eligible students will receive the bursary at the start of Term 2 to help towards the cost of books, clinic coats and diagnostic equipment, all of which are required for the course.
To register for the bursary, eligible students will need to bring with them on enrolment day a copy of the letter from the Student Loan Company confirming they are in receipt of the maximum maintenance loan. A one-off payment of £300 will be made on completion of the first term.
Student Loan Repayments
If you’re a full-time student, you’ll be due to start repaying your loan the April after you finish or leave your course. You’ll only start making repayments if your income is over the repayment threshold, which is currently £27,295 a year, or £2,274 a month, in the UK*. If your income falls below the repayment threshold, your repayments will stop and only restart when your income is over the threshold again. Any outstanding contributions will be written off after 30 years. You can also make additional voluntary repayments to SLC at any time.
The table below illustrates monthly repayment levels relative to earnings. You’ll repay 9% of your income over the repayment threshold.
| Income each year before tax | Monthly income before tax | Approximate monthly repayment |
| £27,295 | £2,274 | £0 |
| £28,000 | £2,333 | £5 |
| £29,500 | £2,458 | £16 |
| £31,000 | £2,583 | £27 |
| £33,000 | £2,750 | £42 |
MoneySavingExpert website also provides a useful and user-friendly calculator tool.
* The threshold for graduates working overseas varies from country to country – visit www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk for current information.
Repayment Through Self-Assessment
Most osteopaths work on a self-employed basis and the tax rules for the self-employed are different to those who work for somebody else; you must register with HM Revenue & Customs and complete a Self Assessment Tax Return form at the end of each year, in which you disclose how much profit you have made. Once you show an annual profit above the threshold you will commence repayment of your student loan as illustrated above.
Many of our students, once they have graduated, move to practice in other countries. Should you leave the UK for more than 3 months, the Student Loan Company (SLC) will ask you to complete an Overseas Income Assessment Form to enable them to calculate how much you need to repay.
Interest Payments
You will be charged interest on your loan from when you receive your first payment until it has been repaid in full. The interest will be compounded (e.g. added to the total amount you owe) every month. The most accurate and up to date information on interest rates can be found at www.slc.co.uk/repayment.
Please Note
The above information is provided as a general guide. Information about loans and repayments can be found on the Student Loans Company website and it is your responsibility to inform yourself about student finance arrangements.
Payment Plans
If you are paying tuition fees from your own means (ie not through the student loan system) you can pay the fees upfront for the year. You may also choose to pay the annual tuition fee in three instalments. The first payment will be due within 2 weeks of your start on the course, the second in the following January and the third in April.
Other expenditure
If you are a UK student you will need to undertake a Disclosure and Barring (DBS) check during the first week of the course. This will cost £51.60 (as at 1st July 2021).
You will need to purchase diagnostic equipment, treatment couch covers and clinic tops in your first year and can expect to pay around £300 in total.
The ESO is not prescriptive in its recommendation of books. However, you will need to buy some books whilst on the course and we recommend that you set aside approximately £200 for this purpose.
EU/International Applicants
The ESO is recognised globally as a leading osteopathic institution. We pride ourselves on the breadth of our undergraduate programme, preparing graduates for a fulfilling and rewarding career as an independent healthcare practitioner. The ESO International reputation means that students apply from all over the world to study here. Over 40% of our students come from overseas.
The ESO holds a Student Route Sponsor licence, enabling us to issue students with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) – a unique reference number needed to obtain an UK student visa. Please refer to the following website to see what else obtaining a VISA entails and the costs involved: https: //www.gov.uk/student-visa.
Please note: EU, EA and Swiss citizens who move to the UK after 11pm on 31 December 2020 will need to apply for a student visa to study here and will be classed as International Students. To find out more about your immigration status visit the UK Council for International Student affairs – UKCISA.
Further guidance will be available on this page shortly or contact Admissions.
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees for International students joining the ESO in 2022/23 will be £11,000 per year.
Deposit
The ESO will assign a CAS to applicants who have successfully completed the application cycle and have paid a deposit – please contact Admissions to confirm the deposit required for 2022 entry. The deposit acts as part of the annual tuition fee and the amount payable at the time of registration will be reduced accordingly. The deposit is only refundable where the applicant provides evidence that the application for a student visa was not accepted for the year the academic offer was made.
Payment of Tuition Fees
Prospective students will receive comprehensive information about the payment process once they have formally accepted an offer for a place on the course through UCAS.
Other expenditure
You will need to purchase diagnostic equipment, treatment couch covers and clinic tops in your first year and can expect to pay around £300 in total. The ESO is not prescriptive in its recommendation of books. However, you will need to buy some books whilst on the course and we recommend that you set aside approximately £200 for this purpose.