United States International University (USIU) Fees Structure 2026/27

Details of United States International University’s fee structure for 2026, including the breakdown, bursaries, loans, tuition fees schedule, fees booklet pdf download, examination fees, residential fees, fees statement, quotation fees, finance booklet, student fees, payment procedures, funding, banking details, and other fees charged for the 2026 academic year.

 The USIU fees structure 2026

The USIU fees structure is not just a single figure; it is a collection of several components that come together to form your total cost per semester. For the 2025 to 2026 academic year, which covers the 2026 calendar year, the fee schedule is organized around these main ideas:

• Tuition is charged per unit or per credit for each program.
• There are mandatory fees that almost every student pays each semester, such as library, medical, student activity, and technology fees.
• Some programs include extra charges such as lab fees, studio or fieldwork fees, or clinical charges.
• Non-East African students pay higher fees than Kenyan and East African students, usually through a percentage loading on tuition and the main mandatory fees.

Because of this structure, two students at USIU in 2026 can pay very different amounts, even if they are at the same level of study, depending on their program, the number of units they take, and their residency category.

Tuition fees at USIU in 2026: how tuition is calculated

Tuition is the core part of the USIU fees structure. For each academic year, the university sets a tuition rate per unit for every program. Your tuition charge in a given semester is calculated by multiplying that per-unit cost by the number of units you register for, and then adding the relevant mandatory and program-specific fees.

A simplified way to think about it is:

Tuition cost in a semester equals, tuition rate per unit multiplied by number of units, plus mandatory fees, plus any additional program fees

In recent schedules, undergraduate programs commonly list tuition as a fixed amount per unit, with typical loads of about 12 to 18 units per semester, while many master’s programs charge a per-unit rate for about 9 units per semester. Doctoral programs also follow a per-unit model, sometimes with special rules for thesis or project continuation.

The exact per-unit figures for 2025 to 2026 are detailed in the official fee schedule and will vary by program, for example, between business, information technology, pharmacy, communication, or psychology. When you are planning, always ask the admissions or finance office for the latest per-unit rate for your specific program and then multiply it by your expected number of units to estimate your tuition.

Mandatory student charges in 2026, library, medical, activity, and technology fees

On top of tuition, USIU students in 2026 pay several compulsory charges every semester. These are designed to cover services that support the full student experience. In the official fee schedules, you will see these listed separately from tuition.

Common mandatory fees include:

• Library fee: This supports access to physical and digital library resources, databases, and information services.
• Medical fee: This covers access to on-campus health services. For many students, there is also a separate medical insurance charge, especially for those who opt into a university-arranged scheme.
• Student activity fee, which supports clubs, student government, campus events, and co-curricular activities.
• Technology fee, according to recent fee schedules, every student pays a standard technology fee each semester. For 2025 to 2026, all students are charged a technology fee, and students in certain technology-intensive programs or anyone registered for an IT course may also pay a specific IT lab fee.

In addition, new students often pay:

• Caution money, a one-time refundable deposit, is usually used to cover any outstanding liabilities at the end of your studies.
• Quality assurance or admission-related charges, one-time fees paid when you first join the university.

These mandatory fees can look small compared to tuition at first, but when added together each semester, they significantly affect your total cost, so they should always be included in your budget.

Program-specific charges, labs, studios, clinical, and project fees

Many USIU programs involve practical components such as labs, studios, media production, or clinical practice. For these, the fee schedule includes extra charges to cover equipment, materials, and specialized facilities.

Examples of program-specific charges in recent fee schedules include:

• IT and computing courses with IT lab fees, for example, programs in software engineering, data science, applied computing, or related majors.
• Media, animation, and film courses with dedicated lab or studio fees to support production facilities and equipment.
• Health sciences, such as pharmacy, nursing, and epidemiology, with lab fees for specialized science laboratories and clinical practice.
• Some graduate programs require students pay additional amounts for project or thesis registration once they move into the research phase, especially for repeated registration of an ongoing thesis.

Not every student will pay these program specific fees, but if your course list includes practical components, you should expect them to appear on your statement.

Kenyan, East African, and non-East African students

USIU categorizes students into different fee bands based on their residency, typically Kenyan, East African, and non-East African. The base tuition and mandatory fees are set for local or East African students, and then non-East African students pay a higher amount.

The 2025 to 2026 fee schedule clearly notes that non East African students will pay thirty percent above the local rates for tuition and all mandatory fees such as library, medical and student activity charges.

This means:

• Two students in the same program taking the same number of units will pay different totals if one is Kenyan or from the East African region and the other is from outside the region.
• The difference affects both tuition and key fees, not just tuition alone.
• When paying in United States dollars, non-East African students are also subject to a fixed exchange rate set each semester, while for East African students paying in local currency, the equivalent United States dollar rate can vary with the market.

If you are an international applicant planning for 2026, it is important to ask the admissions office to confirm which category you fall into so you can estimate your total cost accurately.

Example of how a USIU semester bill is built up in 2026

Every student’s bill is unique, but you can imagine a general example to see how the USIU fees structure works in practice. Suppose a full-time undergraduate student in a standard program plans to take a typical load of 12 units in one semester. Their estimated charges would usually include:

• Tuition is calculated as the per-unit rate for the program multiplied by 12 units.
• Mandatory fees, library, medical, student activity, and technology charges, plus any insurance if applicable.
• Program-specific fees, such as IT lab fees, media lab fees, science lab fees, or project registration charges, if those are part of the curriculum that semester.
• One-time charges, if this is the first semester, such as caution money and any admission or quality assurance fee.

For a local student, all of these are charged at the Kenyan or East African rate. For a non-East African student in the same situation, the tuition and the core mandatory fees are increased by thirty percent, and if the student pays in United States dollars, the university applies the fixed semester exchange rate.

Because of this layering, the most accurate way to know your personal cost is to request a sample breakdown from the finance office based on your program and your student category, then adjust it depending on whether you will take the normal unit load or more or fewer units.

How to pay USIU fees in 2026, main payment channels

USIU supports several payment options so that students and sponsors can pay fees from within Kenya or from abroad. The main channels include mobile money for local payers, bank deposits, and wire transfers, as well as card payments.

Commonly used methods are:

Mobile money, M-Pesa pay bill
For students and parents in Kenya, M-Pesa is a convenient option. The university provides a business number and requires the student ID combined with a purpose code in the account number field. According to the official payment instructions, when paying by M-Pesa, you:

• Go to the M-Pesa menu on your phone.
• Select Lipa na M-Pesa, then Pay bill.
• Enter the USIU Africa business number for the pay bill, which is 516900.
• In the account number field, enter your student ID, followed by a comma in this article but a hyphen in the official format, then the purpose code, for example, a pattern such as student number, then TUIT for tuition, ADM for admission, or PPP for payment plan.
• Confirm the exact amount you want to pay and authorize the transaction with your M-Pesa PIN.

Always make sure the student number and the purpose code are correct, since this is how the system allocates the payment to your account.

Bank deposits and wire transfers
USIU also accepts payments by direct deposit or wire transfer into specified university bank accounts. These are particularly important for sponsors, parents, or students paying from banks within Kenya or from overseas banks. The university’s official mode of payment information lists the bank names, branch details, account numbers, and the SWIFT code needed for international transfers.

Card and in-person payments
For students who prefer to pay in person on campus, the finance office normally accepts payments through electronic card channels that are linked to the university’s banking partners. Before using this route, it is a good idea to confirm the current accepted card types and any charges that may be applied by your bank for large transactions.

USIU bank details for fee payment, official accounts

When paying USIU fees in 2026 by bank deposit or wire transfer, it is very important to use the correct and up-to-date bank details so that your money arrives safely in the university account and is correctly credited to your student profile. According to the official mode of payment information, one of the main university banking arrangements is with the Commercial Bank of Africa.

Below are the key bank details from that information:

Bank name
Commercial Bank of Africa Limited, Upper Hill Branch, Mara and Ragati Road, Nairobi, Kenya

Postal address and contact
P O Box 30437, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
Telephone, plus the standard bank contact numbers provided by the branch

Account name
USIU or United States International University

Current account numbers

• Kenya shilling account, 6438840014
• United States dollar account, 6462210014

SWIFT code for international transfers
CBAFKENX

When making a payment, especially from abroad, you will normally need to include:

• Account name and number
• Bank name and branch
• SWIFT code
• In some cases, an IBAN or additional routing details are requested by your local bank, even though Kenya uses the SWIFT system rather than IBAN for most international transfers

You should also clearly reference the student’s full name and student ID on the payment, and then send the transfer slip or confirmation to the university finance office if requested, so that allocation to the correct account is smooth. Because bank arrangements can change over time, it is wise to verify these details with USIU Finance or on their most recent payment information before sending a large amount.

Planning for USIU fees in 2026, budgeting, and financial tips

Knowing the structure of USIU fees is only the first step; the next is planning how you or your sponsor will meet these costs throughout your degree. For many families, the key challenge is not just the overall cost, but the timing of installments and the way unexpected extra fees appear during the semester.

Here are practical tips for managing USIU fees in 2026:

• Request a full breakdown early, once you know your program, ask the admissions or finance office for a sample fee statement showing tuition, mandatory fees, and likely program-specific charges for a standard semester. Use this as the base for your budget.
• Check your student category, confirm whether you are billed as Kenyan, East African, or non-East African, and understand how the thirty percent loading for non-East Africans affects your total. (USIU-Africa)
• Plan your unit load carefully, because tuition is per unit; taking extra units in a semester will increase your bill, while taking too few units may drag your course out longer and increase your overall cost over several years.
• Factor in lab and project fees; if you are in a science, technology, media, or health program, always assume there will be lab or studio charges and ask when they are typically billed, for example, during particular years of study.
• Use the official payment channels, always pay through the official pay bill, bank account,s or card facilities provided by USIU. This ensures the money reaches your student account quickly and reduces the risk of fraud.
• Monitor currency movements if you are international, if you or your sponsor will pay in United States dollars from abroad, watch the exchange rate between your home currency and United States dollars so you are not surprised by changes at the time of payment.