The UK

Language studies
Due to its position in Europe, the UK is favoured as a language-learning destination by Western Europeans, but it is also popular with Japanese and other East Asian students. Over 600,000 students a year come to the UK to learn English in the home of the language. English language schools in the UK can choose to be inspected and accredited by the British Council, which runs a scheme together with English UK. Language schools can also choose to be a member of the Association of British Language Schools (Abls), which runs its own inspection scheme. There are over 370 British Council accredited language teaching institutions in the UK and about the same number again that are not accredited by the British Council.

Secondary education in the UK
Most boarding schools in the UK are members of the Independent Schools Council (ISCias), which provides information and advice for international students through ISC International. Students from Hong Kong traditionally make up the largest percentage of international students at independent schools in the UK, although China, other Asian countries and parts of Europe are also key student markets. Numbers from South America have also been increasing. Students studying at any of the 2,300 ISC member schools can choose from a variety of different learning environments, including single sex schools, weekly boarding and full boarding schools.

Higher education in the UK
There are over 120,000 international and European Union (EU) students currently studying on undergraduate courses in the UK. For many of these students, the appeal of an internationally recognised qualification is the major deciding factor in their decision to study there. At present, there are over 180 institutions that offer degree courses and over 500 colleges of further education, and all welcome international students. The academic year runs from September to June or July.

Scholarships available
Most scholarships for study in the UK are funded by the British government and are paid to another government for its students, either directly or through an organisation such as the British Council. Your own Ministry of Education should have details of most schemes and generally you should apply for these scholarships in your own country. There are also scholarships available from individual institutions. Good sources of information about these are www.britishcouncil.org/education/funding/ and www.educationuk.org/scholarships/

There are a number of postgraduate scholarships available for study in the UK. These include:

Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP): 400 awarded annually; assists Commonwealth students to study in other Commonwealth countries www.csfp-online.org

British Chevening Scholarships: 3,000 awarded annually; they aim to bring present and future leaders, decision makers and opinion formers to the UK from countries with which the UK's economic relations are expected to develop. www.chevening.com

DfID Shared Scholarship Scheme: aims to help students of high academic calibre in developing Commonwealth countries; funded by the Department for International Development and certain UK universities

Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme (ORSAS): up to 850 new awards each year; aims to ensure a continued supply of high quality research graduates to the UK. www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/ors/

For PhD research only, scholarships are also available from UK research councils, Scholarships for International Research Students, British Council schemes, the EU, international agencies and charities.

Crucial visa info and work rights
If your country is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA), there are no restrictions on study or work in the UK. The EEA is made up of the countries of the EU (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK. However, there are special working rules/conditions for students from Bulgaria and Romania.

Some countries are now termed ‘phase one’ countries, These are South Africa, Canada, USA, South Korea, Hong Kong SAR, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Japan. If you are from one of these countries and intend to stay for more than six months, then you will require entry clearance, similar to a visa.

Other countries are Visa National countries, residents of which always need entry clearance before travelling to the UK (see below). Visa nationals who wish to study part-time or less than six months may do so on a visitor visa, but full time study, or study for longer than six months, requires a student visa. Visa nationals wanting to study in the UK for more than six months must apply for a student visa before entering the country. Visitor visas are only valid for six months and cannot be extended or changed to student visas while in the UK.

Students from non-visa national countries do not have to apply for a visa in their home country, but are required to provide evidence to immigration officers that they meet the immigration rules for students on arriving in the UK. As they can be refused entry at this point, students are advised to apply for an entry certificate – similar to a visa – in their home countries. The procedure for applying for an entry certificate and a student visa are the same.

To apply for a student visa or entry certificate, students must prove that they have been accepted on to a full-time course of study at a publicly-funded institution of further or higher education, a private education institution or an independent fee-paying school. They must also show evidence that they can financially support themselves during their course of study and intend to leave the UK on completion of their course.

All applicants need an application form VAF1 (obtained free of charge from your local British Mission or through the UK Visas website), a valid passport, two recent passport-sized photographs and a non-refundable application fee in the local currency. You may be asked to attend an interview with an Entry Clearance Officer (ECO), and in some countries a medical examination may also be required.

Students from EEA member countries are allowed to work in the UK with no restrictions (bar students from Bulgaria and Romania). Students from other countries are free to work part-time (up to 20 hours per week) and during vacations without having to obtain permission, even if their course of study is for less than six months, as long as they hold a student rather than a visitor visa, or an entry certificate. Visitor visa holders are not allowed to work in the UK. Find the latest visa information at the UK Visas website, www.ukvisas.gov.uk

Travelling around the UK
Because the UK is such a compact country, travel by air is not really necessary unless you are going to Scotland or Northern Ireland. One of the cheapest ways to get around the country is by bus or coach, although this is not always the quickest method. National Express is a nationwide coach operator and offers a Student Coach Card, which gives discounts of up to 30 per cent on all fares. National Express (www.nationalexpress.com) also offers the Brit Xplorer, which gives unlimited travel for a certain number of days. Prices range from UK£79 (US$142) for seven days to UK£219 (US$393) for 28 days. Megabus (www.megabus.com) offers individual journeys between cities from as little as £1.50 (US$3).

Rail travel is more expensive but much faster than coach travel – from London you can reach Edinburgh in Scotland in four hours by train, whereas it takes eight-and-a-half hours by coach. BritRail Passes and BritRail FlexiPasses are available for overseas tourists. They allow unlimited travel for either a consecutive number of days or for a specified number of days within a set period. They must be bought outside the UK and prices start at US$209 for a four-day second class BritRail England Pass and US$329 for a four-day second class FlexiPass, which is valid for two months.

Travelling around the UK by car is another possibility. However, car travel is best outside of the major cities – it is rarely worth hiring a car in London, for example. Unfortunately, petrol is expensive in the UK compared with Australia or the USA, and car hire rates are also fairly high. It is best to book your car rental before you arrive. Other options include buying a cheap car or van, and travelling with other people. In London, TNT Magazine and Loot carry advertisements for second-hand vans, which are a popular option among budget backpackers.

Language exams available: Ielts, Toefl, Toeic, London Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) exams, Pitman qualifications, Trinity exams, Cambridge exams, University of Oxford exams

SCE Scottish Certificate of Education, the Scottish equivalent to GCSE. Higher grade examinations are taken after one year of additional study.

A-level, advanced level examinations taken at 18, necessary for UK students to attend university. Three subjects are usually taken.

AS-level, taken as the first year of A-levels. Four to six subjects are usually taken.

IB International Baccalaureate, the international equivalent of A-level.

NVQ National Vocational Qualification, usually taken at further education institutions, such as technical colleges. Aims to provide job-specific training to students.

SVQ Scottish Vocational Qualification, the Scottish equivalent to NVQ.

GNVQ General National Vocational Qualification, less job-specific than NVQs and provides access to higher education.

SNVQ Scottish National Vocational Qualification, the Scottish equivalent to the GNVQ.

HND Higher National Diploma, a two-year course with practical emphasis. Can lead to entry into higher education.

HNC Higher National Certificate, the part-time equivalent of HND.

City and Guilds, work-related qualifications available in subjects as diverse as vehicle servicing and health and social care.

Foundation degree, two-year course available at colleges in conjunction with some universities. Fifteen months of further study leads to a bachelor's degree.

Bachelor's degree, three- or four-year course offered by universities and institutes of higher education.

Master's degree, usually a one-year course taken after completion of a bachelor's degree.

Source: Language Travel Magazine

If you are on a course lasting six months or more, you can get treatment from the National Health Service (NHS), including free doctor's examination and hospital treatment, from the beginning of your stay. This also applies to your spouse and children under 16 (or under 19 if still at school or college).

If you are on a course lasting less than six months, you can still see a doctor for treatment under the NHS, but the doctor may refuse to treat you and you will not be entitled to NHS hospital treatment. In such cases, you need to take out health insurance. Full-time students in Scotland may use the NHS from the day they arrive, even if they are on a course of study lasting less than six months.

Total no. of EU students = 112,260 / Total no. of non-EU students = 239,210

Source: Hesa

English UK
219 St John Street, London, EC1V 4LY
Web: www.englishuk.com

Association of British Language Schools (ABLS)
PO Box 3382, Norwich, NR7 7HS
Tel/Fax: +44 (0)1493 393471 Email: info@abls.co.uk
Web: www.abls.co.uk

Independent Schools Council Information and Advice Service (Iscias)
St Vincent House, 30 Orange Street, London, WC2H 7HH
Tel: +44 (0)20 77667060 Fax: +44 (0)20 77667071
Web: www.isc.co.uk

UKCISA – UK Council for International Student Affairs
9-17 St Albans Place, London, N1 0NX, England
Tel: +44 (0)20 7288 4330 Fax: +44 (0)20 72884360
Email: enquiries@ukcosa.org.uk
Web: www.ukcosa.org.uk