LPDP Scholars and the UK Student Visa: Financial Evidence Indonesian Applicants Need

What LPDP is and how it funds UK study

LPDP (Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan), the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education under the Ministry of Finance, funds Indonesian students for postgraduate study abroad, including at UK universities. Awards typically cover tuition and a living allowance package for the course duration, alongside other components set out in each scholar's individual award letter.

Exact allowance amounts and covered destinations change with each LPDP scholarship cycle, so check your current award letter and the official LPDP portal for the figures that apply to your intake before you rely on them for visa planning.

Using LPDP funding as your visa financial evidence

Gov.uk accepts an official letter from a financial sponsor as evidence of funds, in place of personal bank statements, where the sponsor confirms it covers your fees and living costs, set out on the gov.uk Student visa finance page . As an Indonesian government body, LPDP can serve as that official sponsor.

Your LPDP letter needs to sit on official letterhead, name your course and university, confirm LPDP covers your tuition and living costs for at least the first year, and carry a date inside the required window before your application. If LPDP only covers part of your costs, hold your own funds for the remaining amount for 28 consecutive days before you apply, the same as a self-funded applicant.

CAS and English requirement

You still need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your UK university once your offer turns unconditional, with your LPDP sponsorship recorded on it. For most postgraduate courses at degree level, universities assess your English ability themselves against the CEFR B2 standard, using the IELTS or other test score you submitted at admission, rather than requiring a separate Home Office-approved test.

Dependants for LPDP scholars

Because LPDP counts as government sponsorship, LPDP scholars on a course lasting more than 6 months keep the right to bring a partner and children under the Student visa, including on a taught masters, a right that self-funded taught-masters students lost for courses starting on or after 1 January 2024, confirmed on gov.uk . Each dependant still needs their own maintenance funds figure unless your award letter also states LPDP covers their costs, so check this detail with LPDP directly.

Practical tips

• Keep your LPDP award letter updated whenever your CAS or course dates change, since a mismatch between the two documents can delay your visa

• Ask your university's international office how they want the sponsor letter formatted for their CAS system, rather than assuming a generic template works

• Check the current allowance breakdown and any bond terms directly on the official LPDP portal each application cycle, since these change between cohorts