How much is it going to cost?

Before moving to the UK and starting your studies, you need to make sure you are secure in terms of funds.

There will be many outgoing’s that you will need to consider; university fees, living expenses and also money for your social time. We have given you some guidelines below, so you can begin to look into the kind of money you need to have saved up in order to afford studying in the UK.

Tuition Fees

One of the most confusing factors of looking into university costs is finding out about tuition fees. These differ depending on where you are from, the university in question and the type of course you are applying for.

To make things even worse, the UK government is currently in turmoil about the future of tuition fees and how much students should have to pay. These changes, whatever they may end up being, won’t come into play for a couple of years yet, so don’t worry about them, just concentrate on the current situation.

Although the rates do vary, there are guidelines you can follow to find out how much you should expect to pay. For instance all EU students attending UK universities pay the same fees as UK students (which is currently up to £1,175 a year). In addition, like UK students, EU nationals who come from low-income families pay a discounted fee rate that varies depending on said income. However, prospective students should be aware, that from September 2006, universities in England and Northern Ireland will be able to charge tuition fees of up to £3000 per year to new students who begin their studies in that year.Most universities have signalled that they intend to do so, although a small number will charge less than £3000, with Leeds Metropolitan charging the lowest at £2000 per year. This maximum rate will rise in line with inflation each year but the Government has promised not to increase it by more than this amount until at least 2010, after which Parliament may choose to do so (National Union of Students Press Pack 2005/2006).

or ‘Overseas’ students (those who don’t come from EU countries) tuition fees are unfortunately much higher, and can be very varied. Depending on the type of course, and the university itself, fees range from £4,000 to £17,000 per year.

Living costs

Although things like tuition fees are very important, there are other costs you should consider at this point, and they are living costs. These can differ depending on the region you plan to live in – for example, the North of the UK is cheaper to live in than the South.

You must also be aware that international students cannot apply for welfare allowances of any sort during their stay, and must ensure that they can cover their day to day expenses. If you are staying in the UK for over six months you do get free access to the NHS (National Health Service) which offers free health and dental care.

By knowing roughly how much your weekly living expenses will be, you can then work out how much money you will need to get together in order to afford living in the UK.

Depending on your lifestyle your outgoing’s may differ, but a recent study by the NUS (National Union of Students) came to the following conclusions for the academic year 2005/2006:

Accommodation costs roughly £2215 outside of London and £3085 within the city.

Bills average at £813 for the year , unless you are living in halls of residence and they are included.

Food/household shopping costs are roughly £1138 outside London and £1287 inside.

Rounding this up to a yearly amount, including other costs such as books, equipment, travel, clothing, leisure etc., you can expect yearly living costs of roughly £8810 outside London and £10,493 inside, so keep this in mind.

Scholarships and support

Don’t panic if you think you could never afford to study in the UK, there is a wide support network of scholarships, bursaries, loans and grants that can offer support to help you get the funds you need. For example, there are some government funded awards for international students. These include the Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme (ORS) and the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP). Information on these and more can be obtained from the British Council.

In addition to government funded awards, some private companies offer support funds for students and many universities also offer their own scholarships that international students can be eligible for.

Another thing to consider is that these days, students often consider part time work to help them keep on top of money. International students are allowed to work part time in the UK for up to 20 hours per week, and this can help give you money to spend in your free time – and also give you less time to spend it in!

Written by Assistant Editor Keri Allan

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