FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We are giving here a rough estimate of how much most international students spend during one academic year. A lot depends on the standard of living you expect to enjoy. The first couple of months will see you spending more than what your average expenditure will be in the full academic year. It will be high around the beginning as you would be paying out for things like accommodation deposits and security or advance, buying groceries and only refilling them over a period of time, books, opening a new bank account, registering for National Insurance Number, and travel involved in the initial settlement period.

The cost of living in the UK varies depending on whether you live in or outside London and on your own particular lifestyle. The following is a guide:

Outside London £5,500 per year
London £6,500 per year

These include the cost of accommodation, heating, lighting, food, clothing, books and daily travel for one person for one year.

Your University will normally give you a chart of the normal expected expenditure split into accommodation, travel, books, entertainment etc.

Please take a careful read of the same and make arrangements to have all that money transferred to your account in a bank in your home country, which can later be transferred to your new bank account in the UK. It is advisable that you carry some ready money in the form of currency notes and some in the form of Traveller's cheques and some as plastic money for when you first arrive in the UK.

There are some special reductions offered to students at many local shops, theatres, cinemas, museums and galleries; and special student fares are available on buses and trains. You normally need to show your student ID/matriculation card to be able to take advantage of the reductions.

The cost of studying in the UK is determined by the tuition fees of your course and estimated living costs for the city you are studying in.

Tuition fees for courses vary depending on the course you have applied to study and the institution you are planning to study at

Business Courses £5,500 - £12,000 per year
Engineering and Science Courses £6,500 - £12,000 per year
MBA £7,000 - £16,500 per year

BEST PAYMENT METHODS

How best to arrange for the payment of tuition fees.
At the time of registration you will be required to pay either the first installment (for institutions that accept installments) or full tuition fees so that you can register with the institution and obtain your Student ID or matriculation number. If you have already prepaid a part of your tuition fee before applying for Visa - the payment receipts of the same can be produced at the time of registration. In case where you have already prepaid the first installment then you should carry proof of the same, so that you can get your matriculation or the Student ID card from the University. In case where you wish to take the first installment or the full tuition fees with you to the University, then you have various options available to you:

Universities that have installment scheme
If you wish to pay by installment, then it is advisable that you pay the first installment by Banker's draft and for the subsequent installments, you can ask your bank or sponsor to send the tuition fee by electronic transfer from your home country.


Universities without any installment scheme
If the University that you have enrolled in does not offer any installment scheme or if you choose to pay all the tuition fee at the start of the course, then the best advisable mode of payment is Banker's draft or an electronic transfer.

• Can I work whilst I am studying in the UK?
  Most students on courses of more than 6 months will be given a passport stamp or visa sticker that allows them to work part-time during the term (up to 20 hours a week) and any number of hours during the vacations. Note however that you cannot normally rely on expected income from part time and vacation work as evidence of your financial resources when dealing with the UK immigration authorities.
  
  
• Can my husband/wife/son/daughter work whilst I study in the UK?
  This will depend on the amount of time you are given to study in the UK. If you are given 12 months or more, then your husband/wife/son/daughter joining you in the UK should be given a passport stamp which allows him or her to work.
  
  
• Can I stay in the UK to work after I have finished studying?
  It may be possible for you to stay on in the UK for practical training or work experience or for full time employment. You should have found an employer who is keen on applying for your work permit. Your employer can then apply for either Business and Commercial Full Time Work Permit or the Training and Work Experience Scheme (TWES) visa. Employers can apply for permits to employ a person in a particular post for a limited period for work experience or for professional training.
  
  You can choose to stay back in the UK under one of the following schemes - 'Innovators Scheme' or Highly Skilled Migrants Programme (HSMP) or the new Science and Engineering Graduate Scheme (SEGS). Under these schemes students benefit from having done a specific course from an institution in the UK or are highly experienced and/or highly qualified.