Warning: the content within this page reflects what was communicated to students in the 2017/18 academic year. As such, this information may no longer be factually accurate.
Transitional fee arrangements end on 31 August 2017 and, unless a student has been granted an exception, any modules they start after this date will be charged at the standard fee. The standard fee is higher than the transitional fee.
If a student is studying towards the Open Degree, the University has granted them an additional year of discounted fees as long as they have maintained their eligibility for transitional fee arrangements. This means that they will continue to be charged the discounted fee level for modules starting before 31 August 2018.
In 2012 the UK government changed the way higher education in the UK was funded and this meant that for students in England and outside the UK the Open University increased its fees for modules starting after 1 September 2017. However, the Open University continued to receive government funding to enable eligible students to complete their qualification under existing fee arrangements. This meant the university was able to put in place, for a fixed period, transitional fee arrangements so that fees for eligible students in England and outside the UK remained at 2011 prices, subject to inflation.
To be eligible for transitional fee arrangements students had to:
To remain eligible for transitional fee arrangements they had to study at least one module that could count towards their chosen qualification in each academic year (1 August-1 September) until the arrangements end on 31 August 2017.
If a student has experienced circumstances that have meant that they were unable study in a particular year (making them ineligible for transitional arrangements), and/or they cannot continue to meet the eligibility criteria during the transitional period (1 September 2012 to 31 August 2017), they may be able to apply to remain eligible for transitional arrangements under our exceptions policy.
If a student is not eligible for an exception, there are other funding options available found in Payment and enrolment.
Please talk to your Student Support Team if you need any further information. You can find out how to contact them on Contact the OU.
