Every UNI competition uses one of two entry fee models. A static fee is a fixed price. A dynamic fee is set by how many entries the competition already has, and the prize pool moves up with it.
The competition page always shows which model applies and the exact price you will pay.
Static entry fee
A static fee is a fixed amount per registration window. It does not change with how many people enter. Each window can carry its own price, so an early window is often cheaper than a late one.
For example, a competition might charge one price during early registration and a higher one during late registration.
Prizes in a static competition are set by the organiser in advance and do not change with participation.
Dynamic entry fee
A dynamic fee is set by the number of entries already registered, not by the calendar. The competition publishes a table of entry bands. When registrations cross into the next band, new registrations pay that band's price, and the prize pool moves to that band's amount.
Most dynamic competitions use the same ladder. It opens like this:
| Entries so far | Student | Professional | Prize pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 1 | $50 | $50 | $100 |
| 2 to 3 | $55 | $60 | $150 |
| 4 to 5 | $60 | $70 | $200 |
| 6 to 8 | $65 | $80 | $300 |
| 9 to 12 | $70 | $90 | $400 |
The table carries on in the same shape. On the standard ladder the bands are defined up to 200 entries, where the winner's award reaches $2,300 and the band's four awards come to $3,700 between them. Institution registrations are a flat $499 in every band.
Individual competitions can set their own table, so read the one on the competition page rather than this example.
Fees are shown and charged in US dollars.
Why entering early is worth it
You pay the price of the band the competition is in on the day you register. Later entrants pay more for the same competition.
Everyone competes for the prize pool the competition finishes on, so an early registration costs the least and still competes for whatever the pool grows to.
One thing to know about the figure on the page: while registration is open, competition pages show the top of the ladder, meaning the largest pool that competition can reach. Once registration closes, the page shows the band actually reached.
Where the ladder can stop
The table is a ceiling, not a forecast. A dynamic competition settles on whichever band its final entry count lands in, and most of them settle low: about six in ten finish in the first or second band.
Two things follow that the table above does not show.
- The first three bands carry no cash. Up to 5 entries the winner's award is a UNI Membership worth $100, $150 or $200, together with an e-certificate and a featured article or interview. Cash first appears at the 6 to 8 band, at $100.
- Judging happens either way. No stage of a competition waits for a minimum number of entries. A competition that finishes in the first band is moderated, evaluated by its jury and announced on the same path as a large one, and certificates are produced as usual.
How competition awards are decided sets out the full ladder of award sets, and what happens when a competition closes with a single entry.
Student and professional prices
Dynamic competitions price student and professional registrations separately, and you pick your category when you register. Proof of enrolment is requested later, when a student entry is in line for a prize, so pick the category that is actually true for you.
A team with even one professional member registers as a professional entry.
Using membership instead of paying per entry
Membership includes a number of competition entries per membership cycle, at no entry fee:
| Plan | Price you pay | Included entries per cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | $9.67 | 0 |
| Monthly | $19.35 | 0 |
| Semester | $69.88 | 1 |
| Annual | $106.42 | 2 |
| Studio | $213.92 | 5 |
| Institutional | $536.42 | 12 |
Weekly and Monthly do not include any entries. They can register for competitions that are free to enter, but for a paid competition they pay the entry fee like anyone else.
Included entries are counted from the day your membership cycle starts. If you hold more than one membership, the allowances add together. Free competitions do not use up an included entry.
See Membership tiers for the full comparison, or the membership page.
Payment gateway charge
A 7.5% payment gateway charge applies to every payment on UNI. The membership prices above already include it; competition entry fees are quoted before it and it is added at checkout. The full total is shown before you confirm.
Refunds
Entry fees are not refundable. Withdrawing an entry before the submission deadline archives it, it does not return the fee.