U.K.

• About UK
• Admission
• Visa

About UK

Made up of four countries, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain is a cosmopolitan and an exciting study destination. Many thousands of families from around the world have made the UK their home, creating a richly diverse, open-minded, multicultural society. There are also more than a quarter of a million international students in the UK at any one time.

There are more than three thousand educational institutions that welcome international students in the UK. You can choose from a variety of routes through the education and training system, combining different types of course according to your needs and abilities. Many courses can also be taken through distance learning in your home country.

The UK has two distinct systems of courses and qualifications: one for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and one for Scotland. Each is compatible with the other. The Scottish Parliament has devolved responsibility for education in Scotland. Wherever you choose to study, you will be able to study for a relevant, world class qualification of exceptional quality.

Population
Over 60 million.

Climate
UK has a temperate climate. The climate of Britain is variable and changeable from day to day. There are four seasons... Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn.

Main Cities
The main cities in each of the countries are...

Recognized and Respected Throughout the World
Your UK qualification will be a solid foundation for building your future, boosting your career and prospects for a higher salary and will give you an edge over the others.

Excellent Quality of Education
UK universities, colleges and schools provide a vibrant, creative and challenging environment in which to develop your potential. Quality standards for UK institutions are among the best in the world. Universities, colleges and schools continually have to prove that their courses meet strict criteria. Many other countries are now trying to follow the example of the UK.

Welcoming International Students
The UK has been welcoming international students. Most Universities have a dedicated international office, international student societies and planned social activities for International students.

Students normally commence higher education at the age of 18 and study at university or colleges of further and higher education. UK offers shorter duration and more intensive courses than other countries thereby reducing time and living expenses that a student spends.

A Masters Degree programme is for 1 year and a Doctoral degree programme for 3-4 years.

A Bachelor degree programme normally lasts for 3 to 4 years and is usually taught programmes.

Sandwich courses are where the courses are accompanied with practical experience. A student could either complete 2 years of college, then a year of commercial training before returning for a final year in college. Or, he/she could do a 4-year course with 3-6 months' training interspersed each year. The main advantage is that the student gets real experience while in the learning mode. Most universities offer this option.

Higher National Diploma (HND) / Higher National Certificate (HNC) / Foundation Degree
HND is awarded by Vocational and Technical Educational Councils, which offer one to two year courses in vocational, career related higher education courses, usually in science and business subjects. Here, a lot of emphasis is placed on work experience. It is often seen as the first stage towards a degree course as the credits can be transferred.

The average range of Tuition Fees is as below...

Average costs of living per week are...

General living expenses may be about 20% greater in London than elsewhere.

English language skills will be important for your future career prospects. English is accepted as being the language of business, science, IT and the Internet around the whole world. Learning English in the UK allows you to immerse yourself in the language, to live and think in English.

Thousands of scholarships and bursaries are offered by UK institutions just for international students, while more than twenty-one thousand international students receive scholarship funding from the UK Government every year.

• 20 hours per week during studies.
• Full time during vacation.
• Diploma and under graduate students are allowed to work only 10 hours per week.

Intakes & Application Fees

Intakes
The main intake for most UK Universities is September. Every university opens admissions for all courses that they offer, for the September intake. There is also a Mid-academic year intake offered by some British Universities during January / February. However, all courses may not be offered in this intake. Whether or not a University will offer a January / February intake can be found out on the respective university’s website, university brochures or from our counselors.

Universities and colleges:

Application Fees
Usually UK universities do not charge any application fees.

Though each University specifies its application procedure / requirements, generally one can apply for admissions through us at Take Off Educational Consultants, where by all application, admission and correspondence services will be provided by us. You can give us all necessary supporting academic documents and we will assist you with the entire admission procedure.

Spot Interviews
Spot Interviews are also conducted by several visiting Universities at our offices at Take Off Educational Consultants. In this case, one is required to attend an interview conducted by university staff/ faculty, who will offer the student an on the spot decision, about whether or not he is eligible for admission. Also, further relevant inquiries can be made and are usually answered by the University Representative.

The following checklist will be helpful while applying to a university in UK...

• Application Form
• Resume / Bio-data
• Statement of Purpose
• Graduation Degree Certificate / Provisional Certificate (if applying for PG)
• Graduation Mark sheets - all years
• Std 12 Mark Sheet
• Std 10 Mark Sheet
• 2 Recommendation letters (out of which at least 1 should be academic, with the other being from the work place, if student is working)
• Work experience letters (if applicable)
• IELTS / TOEFL Score Sheet
• Any other relevant certificates
• Portfolio of work must also be included, incase of application for courses in art / design etc.

Visa Procedure

Any person, who is not a British Citizen or a citizen of one the European Economic Area (EEA) countries, needs an entry clearance before he travels to the UK. To apply for a visa to the UK, applicants need to submit their visa application to the Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) Centre nearest to them.
VFS staff accepts the applications at each centre and all applications are then immediately forwarded to any one of the 4 visa offices of the British High Commission in India.
VFS are responsible only for accepting applications and providing advice and guidance where necessary. All visa applications are assessed by Visa Officers at the British High Commission.

Who can apply?
You can apply for an adult student visa if you are coming to the United Kingdom for your post-16 education.

If you are 16 or 17 years old and want to study a course at National Qualification Framework level 3 or above, you can agree with your approved education provider either to apply as an adult or child.  Those studying for an English language qualification at Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) Level A2 or above must apply as an adult student. See Studying as a child for more information on how to apply as a child student.

There are different rules if you are extending your permission to stay in the United Kingdom as an adult student. See Extending your adult student visa for more information.

How long can I come for? 

What do I need to apply?
You need 40 points to be able to apply for a student visa and must provide the proof needed with your application form.

If you apply before 1 October you will only need to show proof that you have the money needed, on the day that you apply.  However, from 1 October 2009, you must be able to prove that the money you need to apply has been in your account for 28 days before you submit your application.
You must also arrange to have your photograph taken and give your fingerprints, which are known as biometric information. See Biometrics for more information.

Approved education provider
Education providers are approved by us when we give them, a licence to teach international students in the United Kingdom, and add them to the tier 4 register of sponsors.  Once you have chosen an education provider to study with, you can check to see if they are on the tier 4 register of sponsors.  If the education provider is not on the register, you will not be able to get a student visa.

Course at an acceptable level
You can do courses that lead to an approved qualification and are:

1. approved at level 3 or above on the National Qualifications framework (NQF);approved at the same level in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF);
2. approved at the same level by the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales (ACCAC);
3. approved at the same level by the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland; are short-term study abroad programmes in the United Kingdom as part of your qualification at an overseas higher education institution, as long as the qualification is confirmed as the same as a United Kingdom degree level by UK NARIC.
4. You can find contact details for UK NARIC on the right side of this page; or an English language course at a level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. If you want to do another English language course after your first course, you will need to show a formal assessment of the English language level you got.

Money needed
The money that you need includes course fees and monthly living costs. The monthly living costs needed depends on where you are studying.

Money needed if I have completed a course of study in the United Kingdom that was at least six months long in the past four months
You will only need to show two months worth of living costs if you have completed a course of study in the United Kingdom that was at least six months long in the past four months, and were in any of the following immigration categories:

1. child student;
2. adult student (also known as general student);
3. postgraduate doctor or dentist;
4. student (under the rules in place before 31 March 2009);
5. student nurse;
6. student re-sitting examination;
7. student writing up a thesis;
8. Student Union sabbatical officer.

The money you will need is:

How much does a student visa cost?
The student visa application fee depends on where you apply from:
Inside the United Kingdom by post - £357
Inside the United Kingdom at a Public Enquiry Office (PEO) - £565
Outside the United Kingdom - £145
What application form should I use?
If you are applying from inside the United Kingdom, you should use the Tier 4 (general) application form, which you can find on the right side of this page.
If you are applying from outside the United Kingdom, go to our visa services website, which you can find on the right side of the page, to find the application form for the country you are applying from

1. Fully filled and signed Application Form & Student Questionnaire
2. Letter of Offer from the university confirming that you have been accepted on a course of study in the UK
3. Visa Application Fee
4. Original Valid Passport
5. Passport size Photographs
6. Academic documents
7. IELTS / TOEFL Score Sheet
8. Statement of Purpose
9. Work-experience, if applicable
   from present and previous employers providing their contact details.
10. Financial Documents

Please contact us at Avenues Overseas personally for further assistance on the above and Visa Procedure.