How to pay university fees and rent safely
Pay tuition only through the payment page linked from the university's own website, to the university's own name. Only the university can give a fee discount. Never let anyone use your bank account to move money, because that makes you a money mule, which is a crime.
Where to pay
Universities take fees through their own portal, their own bank account, or an official payment service linked from their own website. Examples published by universities include Flywire and Convera. One UK university says it only has an official arrangement with Flywire, so check which service your own university uses.
Type the university's website address yourself, find the payment page from there, and check the account name. It should be the university, not a person.
- Find the payment instructions in your applicant portal or on the university's own website.
- Check the name of the account. It should be the university's name.
- Do not use payment details sent to you by an agent, on WhatsApp or from an email you did not expect.
- Keep every receipt. Ask the university to confirm in writing that it received your payment.
- If you are unsure, use the Payment check in this app before you send money.
Fee discount and 'pay through us' offers
One UK university says that only it can offer discounts on tuition fees. Scammers may say their service gives a discount or a better exchange rate. They may say this is how most international students pay.
Another UK university warns of third parties offering to pay a student's fees at a discounted rate with stolen credit cards. The payment is later reversed, and the student still owes the fee.
Pressure to act quickly is part of the trick. It is also a reason to stop and check.
Cash, crypto, gift cards and wallets
Cash and crypto payments are almost impossible to get back once sent. The US Federal Trade Commission says only scammers demand payment in cryptocurrency. Gift card codes are never a way to pay a university or a government office.
Mobile wallets usually pay a person or a local shop, not a university abroad. Ask the university how it takes fees. A bank transfer to the university's own account, shown on its own website, is a normal way to pay.
Paying the university correctly is not enough on its own
In a case reported by the state news agency APP in September 2026, 4,000 pounds was paid through a university's real online payment link, but the visa application was never filed by the study consultancy involved, and the FIA registered a case against it. So even when you pay the university correctly, keep control of your own portal and visa account and check that your application is really filed.
Rent and housing
Do not pay for housing before you know who the advertiser is. Ask the university's accommodation office for help first. A cheap listing that asks for money before you can see the place or speak to the owner should make you stop.
Money mule requests
Someone may ask you to receive money into your bank account and transfer it to another account, often for a share. Chevening says this makes you a money mule, which is a crime.
Say no. Do not rent out, lend or sell your bank account to anyone. If you already did, tell your bank and read 'I already paid: what to do now'.
Questions people ask
Is a fee discount from a third party safe?
No. Only the university can give a fee discount. Third-party offers have used stolen cards, and the student still owed the fee.
Can I pay a university fee by mobile wallet?
Wallets usually pay a person or a local shop. Ask the university how it takes fees, and use the method on its own website.
Sources
Official and institution sources
- Student fraud (discounts, Flywire, housing, money mules) (University of Bristol)
- Student fraud alert (discounted fee payments with stolen cards, revised 17 February 2021) (University of Warwick)
- Common scams (University of Leeds)
- Staying safe (money mules) (Chevening)
- How and when to pay your fees (Nottingham Trent University)
- International payments (Duke University Bursar)
- What to know about cryptocurrency and scams (US Federal Trade Commission)
News reports and support organisations
- FIA case against a study consultancy (27 September 2026) (Associated Press of Pakistan (APP))
Facts checked on