Plan your funding and research scholarships<\/h3>\n
Our first point of advice for international students in the UK is that you need to make sure you have the finances to fund your degree.<\/p>\n
The funding available to you depends on where you are in the world and the date you enrol at uni.<\/p>\n
Previously, students from the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area and Switzerland were able to access Student Finance the same way UK students can. And then Brexit happened…<\/p>\n
EU students, students from the EEA and Swiss students<\/h4>\n
From the academic year 2021\/22 onwards,\u00a0EU and EEA students are considered overseas students<\/a>.<\/p>\n This means that, unless individual universities decide to set their own fees for EU students,\u00a0new<\/strong>\u00a0(not continuing) EU\/EEA students who started university in the UK on 1st August 2021 or later must pay the same fees that\u00a0students coming from outside Europe<\/a>\u00a0do.<\/p>\n EU and EEA students who enrolled at a UK university\u00a0before the academic year 2021\/22<\/strong>\u00a0are eligible for\u00a0Student Finance in the UK<\/a>\u00a0as they were when they first started studying, meaning the cost of their tuition fees is covered by a loan that they’ll pay back at a later date. You can find more info on that in our guide to\u00a0Student Finance for EU students<\/a>.<\/p>\n Students from\u00a0outside the EU<\/strong>\u00a0(apart from in certain specific circumstances) have never been eligible for Student Finance in the UK, no matter when you started your degree.<\/p>\n You’ll have to fund your degree yourself, and you’ll often have to pay fees much higher than what UK students pay \u2013 anything from\u00a0\u00a310,000 \u2013 \u00a335,000 a year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Don’t forget that for your visa application to be successful, you’ll need to provide evidence that you can cover this cost, as well as\u00a0your living expenses<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you don’t have the money to pay for yourself, there are options available. In our guide to\u00a0international student funding and scholarships<\/a>, we cover loads of opportunities that you might be eligible for, and you could also look into\u00a0education loans or exchange programmes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n For more information on how much tuition fees cost for international students in the UK and eligibility criteria for UK Student Finance, check our guide to\u00a0tuition fees for international students<\/a>.<\/a><\/li>\n Credit: Megan Eaves –\u00a0Flickr<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n As an international student coming to the UK, you might need to apply for a visa, depending on which country you’re from.<\/p>\n On 1st January 2021, things changed for students from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland coming to the UK.<\/p>\n Until\u00a031st December 2020<\/strong>, these students didn’t need a visa to live and study in the UK. If you were living in the UK before 31st December 2020, you should have been able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, which allows you to work, study and access benefits and services broadly on the same basis as you could prior to Brexit.<\/p>\n If you moved to the UK after 31st December 2020, you will now need to use the following information on student visas.<\/p>\n If you’re from a country outside the EU and the EEA (excluding Switzerland), you’ve always needed to apply for a visa to study in the UK.<\/p>\n If you’ll be studying in the UK for\u00a0less than six months<\/strong>, you’ll need a\u00a0Standard Visitor visa<\/a>. Note that you cannot work in the UK if you have this visa, unless it’s an elective (i.e. an optional placement as part of a medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine course). If you want to work during your stay, you’ll need to apply for a Student visa (more on this below).<\/p>\n You can also apply for a\u00a0Short-term study visa<\/a>\u00a0if your course is\u00a0between six and 11 months\u00a0<\/strong>(but no longer), if you’re 16 or over and you’ll be studying an\u00a0English language course<\/strong>. Crucially, this means a course where you’ll be learning about the English language,\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>just a course that’s taught by lecturers speaking English.<\/p>\n Standard Visitor visas cost\u00a0\u00a395<\/strong>\u00a0and Short-term study visas cost\u00a0\u00a3186<\/strong>.<\/p>\n If your course lasts for longer than six months (or less than six months but you want to work), you’ll need a\u00a0Student visa<\/a>, which has replaced the Tier 4 student visa.<\/p>\n These are some of the documents you’ll need for your student visa application:<\/p>\n The Student visa\u00a0costs \u00a3348<\/strong>\u00a0if you’re applying from outside the UK, or \u00a3475 if you’re already in the UK and want to extend or switch to this visa.<\/a><\/p>\n You may also have to pay a\u00a0healthcare surcharge<\/strong>\u00a0as part of your visa application. This costs \u00a3235 for six months or \u00a3470 for the whole year, and will allow you to use the NHS.<\/p>\n If you’re applying for a student visa from outside the UK, you can apply up to six months before you start your course, while you have just three months if you’re applying from inside the UK (and you must apply before your current visa expires).<\/p>\n Although you could get a response within a few weeks, it’s best to apply as soon as possible to make sure. Here’s a list of\u00a0visa processing times<\/a>\u00a0for each country.<\/li>\n Culturally, the UK is very diverse and welcoming of people from all around the world. You’ll find\u00a0plenty of other international students<\/strong>\u00a0at all universities, and most will have societies to help you meet like-minded people and those from similar backgrounds.<\/p>\n We would also recommend searching for\u00a0Facebook groups<\/strong>\u00a0related to your university (they often have groups specifically for international students in the UK) so you can discuss any questions you have and even\u00a0make some friends<\/a>\u00a0before you arrive!<\/p>\n In case you weren’t already aware, the UK is known for its cold and wet weather. Pack lots of warm clothes and a waterproof coat for the winter months, and don’t expect summer to be very hot very often.<\/p>\n It’s not\u00a0student budget<\/a>\u00a0(or environmentally) friendly to have the heating on all the time either (although we have tricks to help you\u00a0save on your energy bills<\/a>), so warm clothes are essential.<\/li>\n You’ll want to get your accommodation sorted before you land in the UK \u2013 the last thing you want is to turn up and have nowhere to stay.<\/p>\n Your first port of call should be your university itself, as they will often offer guarantees to house all students who apply before a certain date.<\/p>\n Most students either live in university accommodation (called ‘halls of residence’, or ‘halls’ for short) or rent a room from a private landlord.<\/p>\n Living in halls is best for your first year of study, as it removes the hassle of trying to find a suitable room elsewhere, and some universities even have\u00a0halls specifically for international students<\/strong>\u00a0to help you make friends easily.<\/p>\n These will either be self-catered (meaning you’ll have access to a shared kitchen to cook your own meals) or catered (meaning your meals will be provided at a canteen). If you’re looking to save some money, self-catered is by far the cheaper option, and we have loads of\u00a0student recipes<\/a>\u00a0and even a\u00a0student meal plan<\/a>\u00a0to help you develop your culinary skills.<\/p>\n Unlike\u00a0American universities<\/a>, the vast majority of rooms both in halls and private housing are single occupancy \u2013 meaning you won’t have a roommate, but a room to yourself instead.<\/p>\n If you’re not interested in halls and you’d prefer to do the accommodation hunt yourself, head to our\u00a0student letting agents directory<\/a>\u00a0to find houses in your university area, and consult our\u00a0guide to viewing student houses<\/a>\u00a0so you know what to watch out for.<\/p>\n And, of course, if you’re not sure where you’d like to live, check out our guide\u00a0comparing student halls and student houses<\/a>.<\/li>\n Credit: Francis Tyers –\u00a0Wikimedia<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n All international students, from both inside and outside the EU, will need to prove they have health insurance to cover them for any healthcare they need while in the UK. Here’s how it’s done:<\/p>\n If you’re from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland and you came to the UK\u00a0before 31st December 2020<\/strong>, you’ll need a\u00a0European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)<\/a>. This will entitle you to free or reduced healthcare from the National Health Service (NHS) while you’re here in the UK.<\/p>\n If you don’t have one, it’s as simple as applying for one through your home country’s national health insurance provider.<\/p>\n You’ll still be able to access healthcare using your EHIC if you’re an EU national who was living in the UK before the end of 2020. However, you should have applied to the\u00a0EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)<\/a>\u00a0to protect your right to free healthcare in the UK.<\/p>\n If you’re from the EU and started living in the UK after 31st December 2020,\u00a0the following information now applies to you instead<\/strong>.<\/p>\n If you’re a student from a country outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you’ll have to pay the health surcharge\u00a0mentioned above<\/a>\u00a0as part of your visa application, giving you access to the NHS during your stay here. More information on this\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Also check any health insurance you already have, as that may also cover you while you’re abroad.<\/p>\n However, don’t forget that neither the EHIC nor health surcharge will cover any extra expenses or losses incurred as a result of illness or injury \u2013 cancelled travel plans or lost course fees, for example.<\/p>\n Endsleigh<\/a>\u00a0offers\u00a0travel insurance<\/a>\u00a0for international students coming to the UK which will cover these extra expenses.<\/li>\n If you’re staying in the UK for longer than a few months (so longer than a semester), we would recommend setting up a bank account.<\/p>\n This will make it easier to pay bills, keep your money safe, and\u00a0avoid foreign currency charges<\/strong>\u00a0you’d otherwise be paying if you used a non-UK bank account to pay for things in Britain.<\/p>\n Setting up a bank account can be a lengthy process, as banks will need lots of information to verify your identity and\u00a0credit rating<\/a>.<\/p>\n Check whether you’re able to get the ball rolling from your home country to save time, and look into whether your\u00a0current bank has any links to UK banks<\/strong>, as this will likely make the process smoother.<\/p>\n Student bank accounts<\/a>\u00a0are a great option, as they offer numerous benefits including an interest-free overdraft of up to \u00a33,000. However, it’s worth knowing that not all banks offer student bank accounts to international students.<\/p>\n Instead, it’s worth checking out our guide to the best UK\u00a0international student bank accounts<\/a>, and use our list as a starting point to find an account that best suits you.<\/p>\n Since it can take a while to get a bank account set up, and around 10 days for your debit card to arrive, it’s best to take money with you to cover the first month of your stay \u2013 we’d recommend a\u00a0prepaid card<\/a>\u00a0for this, as carrying large amounts of cash can be unsafe.<\/li>\n If you’re panicking about whether your current phone will work in the UK, the answer is most likely: yes.<\/p>\n There are two types of cellular frequencies that exist around the world: the GSM band and the CDMA band.<\/p>\n The UK operates on the same GSM band (the most popular) as most of the world, but if you’re\u00a0coming from Japan or North\/South America<\/strong>, your phone may not work in the UK, so this is worth checking. If your phone only supports the CDMA band, there’s also a chance it may not work in the UK.<\/p>\n If your phone\u00a0doesn’t look like it will work here, it might be worth\u00a0selling it for cash<\/a>\u00a0and buying\u00a0a new one. Check out our guide to getting the cheapest\u00a0student mobile phone contract<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, the\u00a0worst<\/em>\u00a0thing you can do is keep your current SIM card in your phone while studying in the UK. You’ll pay extremely high charges for\u00a0calling internationally<\/a>, as well as local numbers.<\/p>\n Here are our top tips for keeping connected on the cheap.<\/p>\n If you already have a mobile phone then you will need a new SIM card. With a Pay As You Go (PAYG) SIM you’ll need to top up your phone with credit, which is a good way of keeping track of your spending, but can be a hassle if your credit runs out at an awkward time.<\/p>\n Monthly contracts are usually better value for money, as you’ll likely get unlimited (or close to) minutes and texts. What’s more, you can now get one-month rolling contracts, meaning you’re never more than a few weeks away from being able to cancel your commitment and move elsewhere.<\/p>\n If you would like a new phone, check out our\u00a0mobile comparison tool<\/a>\u00a0to get a great deal that will have minutes, texts and data bundled together for a low monthly price. You can even keep the phone when the contract finishes.<\/p>\n Keep in mind that you may have to\u00a0unlock your phone<\/a>\u00a0before you start using your new SIM card if you bought it back home.<\/p>\n In recent years there have been lots of low-cost international call providers popping up, such as Lebara, LycaMobile and RebTel.<\/p>\n Alternatively, you can use services like Skype, Zoom, FaceTime (iOS only), Viber, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp to have audio and video chats for free \u2013 although these usually rely on you having a WiFi or 3G\/4G\/5G connection.<\/li>\n Credit Rept0n1x –\u00a0Wikimedia<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Getting to grips with the public transport system when you first land in a country can be a bit daunting \u2013 so here’s a simple guide.<\/p>\n All cities will have a\u00a0local bus service<\/strong>\u00a0which is often the most convenient way of getting around. First suss out how far away you’re going to be living from campus, and whether it’s worth investing in a\u00a0student bus pass<\/a>\u00a0to save some cash.<\/p>\n Bigger cities might also have a subway system, like the Tube in London or the Metro in Newcastle, and you might be able to invest in a yearly pass to help keep costs down.<\/p>\n If you’re confident enough,\u00a0travelling by bike<\/a>\u00a0is a great way to save money while being environmentally friendly too.<\/p>\n If you’re in the UK for the first time, you’ll probably want to visit a few different cities and sights while you’re here. Your two main options here are\u00a0coach<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0train<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Trains are often the quickest and most comfortable way to get around the UK. However, tickets should be booked as early as possible to save money \u2013 check out our guide to\u00a0saving on train fares<\/a>.<\/p>\n You’ll probably also want to invest in a\u00a016\u201325 Railcard<\/a>\u00a0or a\u00a026\u201330 Railcard<\/a>, which will save you a third on all rail fares. Given how little they cost, and how expensive tickets can be, you could make your money back in the savings on a single journey.<\/p>\n Coaches are a cheaper alternative to trains, but they can take twice as long to get from A to B. Our top pick for saving money is\u00a0Megabus<\/a>, with journeys starting at \u00a31 between the major cities.<\/p>\n But if you can’t find a suitable arrival and departure point, then try\u00a0National Express<\/a>\u00a0as they offer the largest coach network in the UK. We also have an extensive guide on\u00a0how to save on coach travel<\/a>\u00a0for you to check out.<\/p>\n Travelling by\u00a0plane<\/strong>\u00a0is also an option for longer distances, for example, if you’re travelling from London to Edinburgh \u2013 although it can be expensive. Check out our list of tricks to help you\u00a0save on flights<\/a>.<\/li>\n If you want to make some extra cash while you’re studying, then you may be wondering what your rights and options to work in the UK are.<\/p>\n With your student visa, you’ll be able to work\u00a0up to 20 hours per week<\/strong>\u00a0while studying, and full-time during the holidays, as well as before and after your course starts.<\/p>\n Although, if you’re from an\u00a0EU or EEA country or Switzerland\u00a0<\/strong>and have since secured EU settled status,\u00a0you are free to work as many hours as you wish and can continue working as long as you’d like after graduation.<\/p>\n However, you\u00a0shouldn’t rely on a part-time job<\/strong>\u00a0as your main source of income to fund your\u00a0living costs in the UK<\/a>. While they’re a great way to boost your finances, you’ll unlikely be able to earn enough to live off, and working long shifts can\u00a0distract you from your studies<\/a>. Try applying for an\u00a0international students’ scholarship<\/a> instead.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nStudents from outside Europe coming to the UK<\/h4>\n
Organise your student visa<\/h3>\n
![\"passport](\"https:\/\/www.savethestudent.org\/uploads\/student-visa.jpg\")
<\/p>\nEU students, students from the EEA and Swiss students<\/h4>\n
Students from outside Europe coming to the UK<\/h4>\n
Student visas<\/h4>\n
\n
Prepare for British\u00a0life<\/h3>\n
Sort your student accommodation<\/h3>\n
Make sure you’ve got health insurance<\/h3>\n
![\"nhs](\"https:\/\/www.savethestudent.org\/uploads\/health-insurance.jpg\")
<\/p>\nEU students, students from the EEA and Swiss students<\/h4>\n
Students from outside Europe coming to the UK<\/h4>\n
Set up a student bank account<\/h3>\n
Work out the cheapest way to make international calls<\/h3>\n
Save money calling local numbers<\/h4>\n
For calling back home<\/h4>\n
Figure out public transport<\/h3>\n
![\"public](\"https:\/\/www.savethestudent.org\/uploads\/public-transport-leeds.jpg\")
<\/p>\nLocal travel<\/h4>\n
National travel<\/h4>\n
Know how many hours you’re allowed to work<\/h3>\n