Law course fees: a guide for students
updated on 09 November 2026
The cost of studying for the qualifications to become a solicitor or barrister is an important factor to most people pursuing a career in law. Here’s our guide to the loans and scholarships available for law degrees, as well as the PGDL, SQE and Bar courses.
Reading time: seven minutes
Training to become a lawyer isn’t cheap. If you have to pay for all your university tuition fees and vocational courses, you could incur debts of many tens of thousands of pounds. And it's not just course fees to be considered – there’s also the costs of books, accommodation, laptop or tablet, food, transport, and smart clothing to wear to careers events and interviews. This is a huge financial investment with no guarantee of a training programme or pupillage at the end of it.
For the 2026/27 academic year, the maximum tuition fee for a standard full-time undergraduate course at an eligible provider in England is £9,790. Different tuition fee and student finance arrangements apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so check the relevant student finance body for the nation in which you normally live.
Meanwhile, Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) course fees can be as much as £16,000 (in London) in 2026/27, depending on the provider and location. The Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) preparation course costs vary depending on programme content and education provider. The SQE1 and SQE2 assessment fees, which currently total £5,092, are normally charged separately from preparation course fees. Assessment fees are reviewed annually, and candidates may face additional fees if they need to resit an assessment.
For more information on SQE fees, head to LawCareers.Net’s SQE hub, sponsored by The University of Law. You can also read LCN’s guide to SQE preparation courses for details on education providers offering these programmes.
Meanwhile, fees for Bar courses vary considerably by provider, location, course structure and whether the programme includes an LLM. Recent Bar Standards Board data shows that vocational Bar training represents a substantial financial commitment, with some courses costing more than £20,000. Candidates should use the Bar Standards Board’s current authorised education and training organisation factsheet and check fees directly with individual providers before applying.
For more information on the education providers offering Bar courses, visit LCN’s course search page
So, with that in mind, how do you go about financing your studies?
Undergraduate degree student loans
For eligible students normally living in England, there are two types of loans available for your undergraduate degree:
- A student loan for fees (commonly called the ‘tuition fee loan’) covers the full amount of your fees – the full amount available being set at £9,790 for the academic year 2026/27. This will be paid directly to your university or college.
- Loans intended to contribute toward your living costs (commonly called ‘maintenance loans’) vary in amount depending on where you study and whether you live independently or with family. For example, for the academic year 2026/27, the loan available for a student living independently and studying in London reaches up to £14,135. The maximum is £10,830 for a student living away from home outside London and £9,118 for a student living at home.
Most students have to use both types, but the loans are repayable only after you’ve graduated. Once you’re required to make repayments, you’ll pay 9% of any earnings over the repayment threshold, which is different for each plan. The repayment plan you’ll be on will depend on when you started your course and the type of course you studied, and the amount you repay depends on your income. For example, those who started their course on or after 1 August 2023 will generally be on plan 5 and will repay 9% of any earnings over the repayment threshold of £25,000 a year, £2,083 a month or £480 a week. If you’re on this plan and earn less than that, you don’t need to repay the loan.
Depending on your circumstances, you may also qualify for bursaries, scholarships or grants from your university, charities or other organisations. Additional government support may be available to students with disabilities, children or adult dependants. Check the current eligibility rules through Student Finance England and your chosen university.
Visit the government’s student finance website for more details on how financial support is administered.
In addition, education charity Brightside has a free online budget calculator, which is a useful tool designed to help you manage your money once you’re at university. Its figures are indicative, so students should use their formal student finance entitlement when preparing a final budget.
Looking for an alternative to university? Head to LawCareers.Net’s Apprenticeships hub, sponsored by Mayer Brown International LLP, to discover more routes into law and qualifying as a solicitor.
Postgraduate courses
PGDL fees
With the introduction of the SQE in September 2021, the PGDL is no longer a requirement for non-law graduates pursuing a career as a solicitor.
That said, non-law graduates who want to become solicitors are often encouraged to take a law conversion course before embarking on any SQE preparation courses to ensure they have the knowledge to pass the SQE assessments.
The PGDL will remain part of the route for non-law graduates looking to qualify as barristers.
Fees range from around £15,000 to £16,000 (for a full-time course in London in 2026/27) but can cost less outside London. These fees don’t include living costs.
SQE prep fees
The SQE prep course fees depend on the type of course you take. Some education providers have developed master's programmes, such as The University of Law’s LLM Legal Practice (SQE1&2), which includes prep for SQE1 and SQE2 and costs £18,850 in London and £15,150 outside of London for 2026/27. However, individual preparation courses like The University of Law's SQE1 Preparation Course will cost £6,650 in London and £5,250 outside of London for 2026/27.
Other training providers are offering cheaper alternatives. For example, BARBRI offers SQE preparation courses starting from £2,999.
It's worth doing some research on what individual providers offer and bearing in mind that standalone SQE preparation courses don’t normally qualify for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan, although eligible master’s programmes incorporating SQE preparation may qualify.
You can also read LCN's 'How much does the SQE cost?' Oracle for more specific insight on paying for the SQE.
Student Loans Company postgraduate funding
Government postgraduate loans are available only for master’s courses, not diplomas or professional certificates, meaning that postgraduate loans aren’t available for the PGDL or SQE preparation courses.
However, many law schools and universities have developed SQE preparation courses that include a master’s qualification, meaning that you may be eligible for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if you choose one of these programmes and meet the relevant eligibility requirements.
Postgraduate loans go up to a maximum of £13,206 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2026. It’s up to the student to decide how they want to divide the loan between paying course fees and living costs.
Graduate bank loans
Loans for postgraduate study are also available from some high-street banks.
Contact your bank to find out what support it can provide.
Sponsorship
Some law firms – particularly international, City or large regional firms – provide PGDL and/or SQE sponsorship upon your acceptance of an offer of a training contract. In some cases, this includes paying back a loan you’ve already taken out.
Sponsorship is sometimes (although rarely) available from other bodies that take on trainees. For instance, the Government Legal Service says funding arrangements differ according to departments. There are bursaries available – for students completing the SQE1 and SQE2 prep course under departmental provision, a grant of around £5,400 is available for regional or online students, rising to around £7,600 for those in London.
Use the ‘sponsorship offered’ filter on LawCareers.Net’s training contract search to find firms that offer sponsorship.
If you’re recruited during your degree and the firm offers to sponsor you through your postgraduate course(s), it’ll probably recommend a particular law school or university at which to complete your SQE preparation course or PGDL. You’re then likely to study several modules tailored to the firm’s work areas.
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are another viable option for those weighing up the financial commitment required to become a solicitor. You can find out more about apprenticeships via LawCareers.Net’s Apprenticeships hub, including the paralegal, solicitor and graduate apprenticeships on offer.
LAG guide 2027 banner
Scholarships
Most universities and law schools offer a limited number of scholarships, awards and bursaries. Some may be for students who show exceptional ability, while others exist to support students who couldn’t otherwise afford the course fees. Learn more about what scholarships are available on your university or law school's website or contact the scholarships team directly.
Inns of Court
Aspiring barristers must join one of the four Inns of Court as part of the process to becoming a barrister. Each of the four Inns offers various scholarships and financial aid.
For information about the scholarships available, visit the Inns of Court Scholarships section on LawCareers.Net.
Between them, the four Inns of Court offer millions of pounds in awards every year. The umbrella term 'award' is used to describe all scholarships, bursaries and grants.
Each Inn is a separate entity, so the rules governing scholarships differ. Amounts and selection criteria vary between the Inns; however, applicants are generally assessed on their potential to succeed at the Bar and financial circumstances may influence the value of an award. Most awards are given to students on the Bar course, but the Inns also have funds available for those studying a law conversion.
It’s advisable to apply for an award in the final year of your degree or in the year before starting the PGDL or Bar course. The Inns’ websites have application forms that ask for character details, legal experience, income/funds and references. You can apply for scholarships at only one Inn. If your scholarship application is successful, you’ll be invited to an interview.
For a summary, read our guide to joining an Inn of Court. Contact the Inns directly for more detailed info:
Further support
Some grant-making trusts and charities may offer financial assistance to those seeking to qualify as a solicitor. You can find information about grants, loans and other funds through your student finance body, university funding team and relevant grant-making organisations.
Finally, the Junior Solicitors Network website has useful information for prospective and current students pursuing a career in law. The page also provides information about the Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme.
So, what can we say? Training to be a lawyer is expensive and there are no guarantees. Hopefully, you’ll be rewarded with a training contract or pupillage. If so, great – it was all worth it. If a career in the legal profession is really your goal, it’s important to understand that it’s unlikely to come easily. You might not secure a training contract or pupillage in your first round of applications, and that’s ok – keep your head up and go again.
If, however, you decide that maybe the legal profession isn’t for you, try to broaden your view of where your career might take you, and think of alternative sectors/industries that’ll value your skills. Either way, taking care of your financial wellbeing is vital.
Visit our alternative careers page to explore all your options.
Anna O’Boyle is acting senior content and engagement coordinator at LawCareers.Net.
