International

Preparing for your studies in the UK

GETTING A VISA:

Your nearest British Council office will be able to tell you whether you need a visa to enter the UK, or you can check the Foreign & Commonwealth office website.   Processing time of visas depends on the British Embassy or High Commission you are applying to.

Immigration Rules
If you are a national of the EEA (the member states of the EU, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) the following does not apply to you. If you are not a national of the EEA and want to enter the UK as a student, you must be able to show that:

1. You have been accepted for a course of study:

• that is at a level that the Uk Border Agency will accept
• with a provider that is a licensed Tier 4 sponsor
• that is at least 15 hours per week of organised day-time study

Under the new Points Based System you will need to have the course acceptance confirmed with a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies) number to gain 30 of the 40 points required.   The college can issue this CAS number once we have all received the relevant documentation and a deposit from you.

You must also show that

2. You can meet the costs of your course, accommodation and living expenses.  Under the new Points Based System you need to claim 10 points for these costs.  

For an initial application, made out of the UK, you will need to show that you have the total student fees for the academic year (unless you have already paid in full.)  If you have paid in part you need to show the remainder of the course fees for the academic year and the maintenance fees, as well as providing the receipt of payments already made. 

and that

3. You intend to leave the UK at the end of your studies.  Your visa will only be issued for the length of your course with a small amount of time prior to the start and at the end to allow for entering the UK and preparing to leave.

HOW MUCH MONEY WILL I NEED TO BRING?

It is not a good idea to carry large amounts of cash with you to the UK. Most students have access to a debit/ credit card or use travellers cheques to cover their immediate needs. If you do wish to bring cash for your first few weeks we recommend around £300 (which excludes accommodation costs).

Students staying for 6 months or longer usually wish to open an English bank account to pay the remainder of their fees and for general money managment purposes.
Please note that opening an account for the duration of short courses can be difficult, therefore we advise students to find out before you leave home whether you can use your debit/credit/ cash card in the UK.  You may need to transfer all course fees before arrival.

THE COST OF LIVING IN THE UK

Apart from the cost of your course, the approximate amount of money a student will need to live in the UK for a nine-month academic year should be on average: £7,500

This amount can be broken down roughly into the following areas:

• Accommodation costs (including bills):£3,000
• TV Licence (if not included in landlord agreement):£140
• Clothing:£320
• Local Travel (dependent on accommodation location):£300
• Social/ Leisure/Sport:£900
• Food (£35 per week):£1,250
• Books,stationery,photocopying (dependent on course):£300
• Health costs (dentist,medicines,toiletries,laundry):£850
• Other (including telephone(inc.international and contents insurance) £440

For more advice on opening bank accounts in the UK see http://www.nusonline.co.uk or for other more detailed financial advice see the publication 'Studying and Living in the United Kingdom' on the education UK website at http://www.educationuk.org

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