How to Study in the UK
The UK is one of the most popular study destinations in the world. It features world-class educational institutions and great employment opportunities for graduates. With all this in mind, it’s no wonder you might be thinking about studying abroad in the UK.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to achieve your dream of studying in the UK.
Do your research
It’s important to understand the education providers and courses available and the eligibility criteria you’ll need to meet to study in the UK. Make sure you read up on these factors to get an idea of what the application process might look like for your desired course and if you meet the requirements. These criteria might include prerequisite subjects or minimum grades.
A great place to start in your research is the British Council’s course, institution and scholarship finder.
Apply for a course
Once you know which course you want to apply for and that you meet its requirements, it’s time to apply! Make sure you follow all the steps carefully. If you have any questions about the process or anything is unclear, contact the education provider for clarification.
After lodging your application, you’ll hear back from the institution about the status of your application. This may take several weeks or months depending on the institution.
If you have been granted admission, it’s time to accept your offer and begin organising your student visa.
Obtain your student visa in the UK
To be eligible for a UK student visa, you must:
Be aged 16 or over
Have enough money to pay for your course and support yourself while you’re studying
Be able to speak, read, write and understand English
If you’re aged 16 or 17, you’ll need parental consent to apply for your visa.
Below, we take a closer look at the requirements for UK student visas.
Money
In terms of the financial requirements, you must have enough money to pay for your course for one academic year (up to nine months) and to support yourself for one academic year. Per month, this is either £1,334 (for courses in London) or £1,023 (for courses outside London).
You’ll also be required to pay for your student visa application. It costs £363 to apply from outside the UK and £490 to extend or switch to a student visa from inside the UK. You’ll also have to pay an Immigration Healthcare Surcharge as part of your application.
Documents
To apply for your student visa, you must provide your current passport (or alternative valid travel documentation) and a Confirmation of Acceptance (CAS) from your course provider. Depending on your specific circumstances, you may need to provide some additional documents.
Timing
If you’re applying for a visa from outside the UK, the earliest you can apply is six months before your course’s start date. You should receive the outcome of your application within three weeks. Under certain circumstances, you may be able to pay a fee to get a faster decision on your visa.
If you’re applying from inside the UK, the earliest you can apply is three months before your course’s start date. You should get an answer within eight weeks. You may also be able to pay a fee to get a quicker decision.
Test your English
To be eligible to study in the UK, you'll also need to prove your English language proficiency by completing an English test (unless you’re from one of the exempt countries). If you’re completing a degree or higher, your educational institution may test your English themselves, potentially with a different test, such as PTE Academic.
In either case, you’ll have to show you can read, write, speak and understand English to a certain level. The level required may be different according to your course and education provider.
Depending on your level of English, you may want to consider taking English lessons to improve your English skills before applying for your visa. An excellent resource for this is Mondly by Pearson, an app that offers short English lessons based on real-world situations.
Of course, once you’re living and studying in the UK and communicating with native English speakers every day, you can develop your English language skills even further.
How to apply
You have to apply online for a UK student visa. Before you apply, make sure you know which documents you’ll need and that you have digital copies of all of them. Once you’ve started your application, you can save your form and return to it later.
After you’ve applied, you may be contacted if your documents need to be verified or if you have to attend an interview.
Learn more about how to study in the UK
To find out more about how to study abroad in the UK, we recommend the following resources:
Author: Sarah Pearce
