Brexit, visas and extra fees: what is changing?
Since the United Kingdom left the European Union, a visa has become necessary to be able to live and study in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This involves some fundamental changes:
If you moved to the UK before 31 December 2020 and intend to start or continue your studies in this country, you will need to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme, i.e. complete an application form (accompanied by a set of documents) to be submitted to the British government via a designated app (more info here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-eu-exit-id-document-check-app). If your application is accepted, which is very likely if you are in the UK for study purposes, you will be granted the Settled Status or Pre-Settled Status needed to continue residing in the UK. The deadline for applying is 30 June 2021.
If you are planning to move to the United Kingdom on a date after January 1, 2021, there will be other steps to take, like securing a visa and paying the application fees. The cost of the application fee is £348. All applicants must have a current passport or other valid travel documents, and must have their visa approved before coming to the UK.
If you are over 16 and plan to start a course, you can apply for a Student visa (or a Child student visa, if you are eligible). You do not need a visa to study in the UK for courses up to 6 months, as long as you are studying at an accredited institution; this includes English language courses. If you’re studying on an English language course which lasts up to 11 months, you can apply for a Short-term study visa. All the information can be found on the government’s website, here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/studying-in-the-uk-guidance-for-eu-students.
You will also need to pay another fee called an Immigration Health Surcharge that gives you access to the UK’s National Health Service. Students receive a 25 per cent discount on the usual cost of this surcharge – so the rate for student visa holders is £470 per year. However, full-time students in UK higher education holding a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) issued by an EU member state can claim a refund of the immigration health surcharge payment. Please check the UK government web page for more info: https://www.gov.uk/apply-to-come-to-the-uk
Healthcare system
In the UK all international students are eligible for National Health Service (NHS) treatment. As soon as you arrive you must register with a local General Practitioner (GP). For the registration you will need: passport, letter from the institute/university and any other immigration document.
For courses of more than 6 months, students have the right to have full health care under the NHS. This treatment covers consultation with the local GP, hospital treatment in Emergency, contraceptives services and dental care. Moreover, Covid-19 tests and treatments fall under the NHS. You may have to pay for prescribed medicines and special treatments.
Please check the NHS and government’s web pages for all updated information about Covid-19 assistance and restrictions : https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do
How much does it cost to live in the UK?
We are students like you, and we know that one of the most important factors in your choice to study abroad are the much feared living costs. Before submitting your application, it is important to make an assessment of your resources and choose cities that are in line with your economic possibilities. If, as regards the payment of tuition fees, you could count on scholarships and student loans, the same cannot be said for food and accommodation, which in most cases will be paid in full by the student.
In 2020, the average cost of rent and utility bills for students was found to be around £450-£550 per month. This average rises for students residing in London, whose rent-related costs are around £640 per month. Other costs to consider are those for food (about £120 per month between shopping and takeaway) and other necessary expenses, such as those for a telephone plan (starting from £10), transport (variable from city to city) and social life.
The Student Money Survey (found at this link: https://www.savethestudent.org/money/student-money-survey-2020.html ) revealed that, on average, the overall cost of living in the UK is £795 per month.
Knowing your budget and having a clear idea of what the costs will be to face is a fundamental part in choosing to live and study abroad. Trust the experience of those who have already been there: the DreamanDo team is here to help you find the right solution for your pockets, providing you with all the information you need.
United Kingdom yes, but… Where?
With over 35,000 courses offered across the UK, you are spoiled for choice.
Oxford and Cambridge remain firmly at the top of all official rankings, but did you know that the top 10 best universities in the UK also include University of Bath, Lancaster University and Loughborough University?
Of course, London is a fascinating metropolis, full of life, great universities, career opportunities and entertainment. However, also due to its very high living costs, moving to London is not a suitable lifestyle choice for everyone. The choice of a university and a city that suit your needs is determined by many different factors: teaching quality, tuition fees, living costs, and of course your personal tastes. For example, the UCL in London is very famous, but if you want to study chemistry why not also consider the University of Glasgow, which according to student satisfaction surveys has been growing steadily for several years?
Our advice? Don’t make a hasty choice by letting yourself be enchanted by the “famous names”. Finding the right place for you is important and takes time.
Relying on Google may not be a winning tactic, do you know why? First, student cities and universities are very dynamic realities that change from year to year, and most of the information contained in blogs may already be outdated even just two years after publication. Second, UK universities rely heavily on tuition fee income (especially for international students, who will pay higher fees after Brexit). Hence there is a lot of competition to attract prospective students, and this also happens through sponsored content and using online search algorithms, thus making it very difficult to make an impartial and objective choice. Third point, the rankings that you find online are often based on numbers and factors that do not say much about what it is actually like to live and study in one university rather than another (such as the amount of papers published or the quality of postgraduate research).
Each member of the DreamanDo team who studied in the UK has taken a different path, from Aberdeen to Brighton, via Oxford, London, Liverpool… Thanks to our experience, our insider knowledge and our network, we can help you choose the city and university most suitable for continuing your studies by providing you with all the information you need to guide you in making this important decision. Exchanging opinions with students and staff is much faster and more useful than the hours spent consulting online guides and rankings.
Essential tips: how to open a bank account in the UK
If you move to the UK, you will definitely need a local bank account to get by. In the UK it is very common not to have cash on you, and the vast majority of people use their debit or credit cards to deal with payments. Everything from utility bills to university funds is processed through your bank account, so it is highly recommended you get one. Thankfully, opening an account as a student in the UK is not too hard. You need to go to your nearby banking branch and bring some documents with you. Examples of British banks and building societies are HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Barclays, Nationwide, etc.
When entering the bank, enquire with a member of staff that you want to open a bank account with them and that you are a student. They will book an appointment with you at a later date to do this and will ask you to provide certain documents with you. These documents normally include: a passport, proof of residence (this can be a utility bill, or a signed contract agreement with your accommodation), a letter of proof that you are a student at your university, and visa documentation. You may be asked to bring other documents depending on your individual situation, but our advice is to bring all the documents that they tell you to bring, as well as others that you think you may need.
If you are not sure what bank is best for you to open an account, or if you incurred in the common issue of having just moved in the UK and not having proof of residency papers yet, get in touch with our team at DreamanDo. We’ve been there, we’ve done that, we can sort it out for you in no time.
… Is that it?
Not exactly! This is a guide that contains all the essential information to be able to present your application to English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish universities, but it would be utopian to think of being able to include in a few paragraphs all the tips for a successful application, the answers to more common doubts and above all the experiences of those who have already been through it.
If you have any questions, you can send them to us using the form on the site (https://www.dreamando.it/). We will be delighted to answer your doubts to help you reach your goals. Not sure what is the easiest way to get the language certification? Do you need someone to check your personal statement? Don’t know who to ask for a reference letter? The DreamanDo team is here to offer you all the assistance you need.
Author: Giulia Bernardini
Translators: Christian Caruncong, Giorgia Gobbi