COMPARE OFFER LETTERS · PLANNING GUIDE, PART 3
Dear applicant, congratulations on your offer…
How to Compare Offer Letters and Pick the Best One
Read the fine print, compare the real cost of each offer, and use a simple scorecard to decide with confidence.
✉
OFFER
RECEIVED
Fine print True cost Scorecard Negotiation email
Before you compare offer letters: what each one tells you
When you compare offer letters, look past the word “congratulations” and read three things: what you still have to do, what it will really cost, and what happens if your plans change. In fact, two offers that look alike can differ by lakhs once you add conditions, fees and deadlines.
✅ Unconditional
In this case, you meet all academic and language requirements.
Next: Check the deposit deadline and when the visa document will be issued.
⏳ Conditional
You still need to meet conditions, such as final results or an English test.
Next: Note each condition and its deadline in one place.
🎓 Offer with scholarship
In addition, a discount or award is attached.
Next: Read whether it is renewable and what grades keep it.
📋 Waitlist
For now, there is no seat yet.
Next: Keep other offers alive and do not pay a deposit on the hope of a seat.
Next, the rest of this guide shows how to read the fine print, compare true cost with a worked example, score each offer, and negotiate.
Read the fine print before you celebrate
Unfortunately, the details that cost students money are rarely on page one. So go through each offer with this checklist and write the answers in one sheet.
- Conditions: which documents or results are still pending, and the date each is due
- Deposit: the amount, the deadline and whether it is refundable if your visa is refused
- Visa document: when the university issues it (the I-20 for the USA or the CAS for the UK) and what it needs from you
- Course details: the exact course title, the start date, the campus and the mode of study
- Fees: whether the quoted tuition is for the full programme or for one year, and whether it can rise
- Scholarship terms: the amount, whether it is renewable, and the grade needed to keep it
- Accommodation: whether housing is guaranteed and when you must apply
A quick rule: if an answer is not in the letter, email the admissions office and keep the reply. After all, a promise made only on a call is easy to lose.
Check who is on the other end. If an agent or a website offers a seat without an official letter, confirm it on the university’s own portal before you pay anything.
Compare offer letters on true cost: a worked example
Tuition is only part of the bill. Instead, add every cost over the full length of the course, subtract any scholarship, and compare the totals in rupees at the same exchange rate.
The example below uses three illustrative offers. Note that the figures are built from published visa minimums and averages, not quotes from any university.
| Cost item | Offer A: UK, 1-year master’s | Offer B: Germany, 2-year master’s | Offer C: Canada, 2-year master’s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | £24,000 | €0 | CAD 48,056 (2 x 24,028) |
| Semester contribution | £0 | €1,200 (4 x €300) | CAD 0 |
| Living costs | £12,000 | €23,808 (2 x €11,904) | CAD 46,896 (2 x 23,448) |
| Health cover | Included in visa fees below | €3,360 (24 x about €140) | Check provincial and university plan |
| Visa and surcharge | £1,334 (£558 + £776) | €75 | CAD 235 (CAD 150 + CAD 85 biometrics) |
| Flights | £600 | Add | Add |
| Scholarship | -£4,000 | None | -CAD 5,000 |
| Total | £33,934 | €28,443 | CAD 90,187 |
OFFER A · UK
£33,934
Shortest: one year
OFFER B · GERMANY
€28,443
Cheapest on paper, cash shown up front
OFFER C · CANADA
CAD 90,187
Highest bill over two years
To compare, convert each total at today’s rate and add the items marked “check” or “add”. Offer B looks cheapest on paper, but it lasts two years and the blocked account amount is cash you must show up front. Meanwhile, Offer A is the shortest, and Offer C carries the highest bill.
Payback test = total cost ÷ expected first-year salary after the degree
In short, a lower ratio means a faster payback. Use honest salary figures for the country and role, not the best case.
A decision scorecard
Numbers alone do not decide. So add the factors that cost cannot show, then score each offer from 1 to 5 on every row. Finally, multiply by the weight and add up.
| Criterion | Weight | Offer A | Offer B | Offer C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total cost after scholarship | 30 | |||
| Course content and fit | 20 | |||
| Career outcomes and internships | 20 | |||
| Post-study work options | 15 | |||
| Location, safety and support | 10 | |||
| Scholarship renewal risk | 5 | |||
| Total (maximum 500) | 100 |
Check 1: renewal
First, ask what happens if the scholarship is not renewed, and re-score cost on that basis.
Check 2: rule change
Second, ask whether you would still choose the offer if the post-study work rule changed, because those rules shift often.
Negotiating and handling several offers
It is acceptable to ask a university to review a scholarship, especially if you hold a better offer. Above all, be polite, be specific and give evidence. However, success is never guaranteed, and some universities do not negotiate.
A short email works best:
To: Admissions Team Subject: Scholarship review request, [application number]
Dear Admissions Team,
Thank you for the offer for the MSc in [course]. It is my strong first choice. I have also received an offer from [university] with a scholarship of [amount]. Would it be possible for you to review the scholarship in my case? I have attached my offer letter and my latest transcript.
Kind regards,
[Name and application number]
Three rules for deposits
1
First, read the refund policy before paying, and prefer refundable deposits if you are still waiting for another decision.
2
Also, do not pay two non-refundable deposits unless you accept losing one.
3
Finally, decline offers you will not take as soon as you are sure, which frees the place for another student.
Set your own decision date a few days before the earliest deposit deadline, and then use that time to run the cost sheet and the scorecard.
FAQs: how to compare offer letters
Quick answers to the questions students ask us most when the offers arrive.
What is the difference between a conditional and an unconditional offer?
A conditional offer needs you to meet further requirements, such as final results or an English score. By contrast, an unconditional offer means you already meet them.
Should I pay the deposit immediately?
Only when you are sure, and only after checking whether it is refundable if your visa is refused or if you decline.
Can I negotiate a scholarship?
You can ask for a review, ideally with a competing offer. However, it does not always work, so keep your other offers alive.
Is the cheapest offer always the best?
No. Compare total cost with course fit, internships, post-study options and what happens if a scholarship is not renewed.
What if I have only one offer?
First, run the same cost sheet and check the conditions. If the offer does not fit your budget, look at scholarships and consider adding more applications in the next round.
Need a second opinion?
Learner Aid counsellors can compare your offers side by side and check the fine print.
THE PLANNING SERIES
① How to choose a country to study abroad
② How to shortlist universities: safe, target and reach
③ How to compare offer letters (you are here)
💰 Paying for it: our education loan guide
→ Next: Fall study abroad timeline: what to do each month
Get your offers compared side by side, free
Sources (10)
- GOV.UK: Student visa
- GOV.UK: Student visa money needed
- GOV.UK: Immigration health surcharge
- Statistics Canada: tuition fees 2025/26
- IRCC: proof of financial support
- IRCC: fee list
- Canada study permit requirements (VisaVerge)
- Germany Blocked Account 2026 (The Expat Wallet)
- Cost of Studying in Germany (GradRight)
- German national visa fees (Federal Foreign Office)
The three offers in the cost table are illustrative, built from published visa minimums and averages.
