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United Kingdom

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United Kingdom

The UK has been the preferred choice for some of the most important minds in history. One in four world leaders has studied in the UK, so if you’re dreaming of achieving big things, you can be sure you’re in the right place in the UK. UK is perceived very well. It ranks in fourth place with France, behind Canada, Australia and Italy. The overall attractiveness of the UK with 71 per cent of people finding the UK attractive.

The U.K. is a highly multicultural country and largely respectful of all beliefs and cultures. Discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability is against the law. Many students are attracted to the U.K. because of this diversity, finding it a welcoming and friendly place to live. Overall, the cost of living in the U.K. is 0.49% lower than in the United States. Rent overall is about 22.55% lower in the U.K. compared to US.

The total number of international students enrolled in all higher education levels in the UK whereby Indian students are approximately 17 per cent (undergraduate and postgraduate level)

Why Study in The UK?

High Quality Learning: British universities are globally known for helping students refine their critical and creative thinking skills and arming them with skills and experiences that will help them succeed in their chosen career. Furthermore, UK universities offer specialised degrees, even at an undergraduate level. This is ideal if you don’t want to wait until postgraduate level before specialising in a field of study.

Respected Employers & Work opportunities: If you study in the UK, your degree will be recognized and respected around the world. Receiving a degree from a UK university will provide you with a solid foundation for the real world and will help you get your dream job. There is also a new Graduate Route scheme that will be available to anyone completing a UK degree from the summer of 2021. This will allow you to stay and work in the UK for up to two years after you graduate.

Cost: UK degrees take 3 or 4 years to complete depending on where you study in the UK. A postgraduate degree takes only one year & it means you will spend less on tuition fees. On top of that, there are lots of scholarships, grants, and backings available from institutions and the universities itself.

Living costs are also much lower in the UK compared to other countries around the world, such as the USA. Plus, there are many discounts available to students.

Preparing for a Degree in The UK –

A brief look at what goes into getting ready for an education in The U.K.

  • (1) Exams Needed –GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS (UKVI), SAT, ACT

    Owing to the high standards set by the The U.K. System, entry to good institutes is a highly competitive affair. A high standard of English with ILETS 6.0 band for undergraduate and 6.5 band for Post Graduates is an absolute basic mandate. Apart from IELTS (UKVI is preferred), most autonomous educational institutes have their own set of criteria and requirements about entrance exams such as GRE, GMAT, TOEFL etc. Thus, the exams needed to enter depend largely on the university the student chooses.

  • (2) University Application Process

    (a) Form Submission

    Applications to different universities must be made individually and separately. By and large the requirements for most applications are as follows.

    (i) Certified copies of academic history, including high school certificates and any studies undertaken thereafter along with academic transcripts of specific subjects.

    (ii) Certified copies of English language proficiency results such as IELTS or TOEFL

    (iii) A certified copy of your passport and any visa label

  • (b) Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (ECoE)

    If the applicant is deemed eligible to study at the institute, then an official letter confirming a direct entry to the chosen course or a conditional letter which would require the student to submit a pending document or meet a future criterion is issued. At this point it is important to note that two payments must be made to officially seal the deal with the university. These include a full semester worth of tuition fees and an Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) as outlined in the letter. Once the payment is confirmed the university issues an Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (ECoE) which would form the base of the visa application.

    However, for Indian students there is an additional procedure. India being in the Assessment 3 – 4 country for higher education , Indian students must complete a Pre-Visa Assessment (PVA) in India itself. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has set the policy of the PVA whereby students have their genuineness assessed before obtaining an ECoE. After the PVA is done the student can apply to receive the ECoE

  • (3) Visa Process

    (a) Visa Application

    The visa procedure can only begin after the receipt of the ECoE. The requirements of a visa application are follows.

    (i) Duly filled U.K. student visa application form (157A)

    (ii) Payment of Visa fees

    (iii) Copy of passport biodata page (some students may be asked to physically provide their passport)

    (iv) Copy of ECoE

    (v) Funds Evidence

    (vi) Health Cover Evidence

    (vii) English Proficiency Results

    (viii) ‘No Criminal Record’ evidence

  • (b) Visa Fees

    The cost of an UK Student Visa is £363

  • (c) Interview Preparation

    A good counsellor can get you prepared for the interview and help you prepare the necessary answers to the questions asked along with physical documents that will be needed.

  • (d) Visa Interview

    The interview is held at the UK Consulate where the student will face the immigration officer directly along with physical documents such as funds statement, criminal record check etc. The interview questions can range from the course and the institute chosen to why the student wants to study in U.K. in the first place.

  • (e) Visa Outcome

    A student visa application is a paper-based visa that is processed manually. The ideal time to submit the application is 3-4 months prior to the date of the commencement of the university program. Upon successful submission it can take anywhere between 4-8 weeks of processing time depending on the category of the visa.

Successfully getting a degree –A dream does not become reality through magic!

  • (1) Course Duration

    At par with most international study destinations, The U.K. undergraduate and graduate degrees take anywhere between 3-4 years and 1-2 years of full time study respectively.

  • (2) Cost – Tuition and Living expenses

    The U.K. education system and lifestyle is available for students at a lesser cost than US and the UK thereby making it more cost effective.

    Tuition Fees

    Tuition fees for both undergraduate and post graduate degrees are in the broad range of £10,000 to £20,000 per year with some advanced MBA programs costing more.

  • Living Expenses

    Depending largely on a student’s choice of accommodation (on campus, off campus, home stay, boarding schools etc.) and lifestyle, living expenses range between £7500 to £12000 per year.

  • (3) Loans - Scholarships – Student Employment

    While a degree from the US might seem expensive on the surface, the financial burden can be brought down significantly using a mix of options such as Loans from Indian banks, Scholarships and Funding from the universities and on campus student employment.

    (a) Loans

    Most government and private banks in India offer student loans ranging from as low as Rs 50,000 to as high as Rs 30,00,000 with varying interest rates and flexible re payment conditions.

  • (b) Scholarships

    Since U.K. is an upcoming and recent favorite for international students, most institutes offer scholarships at both graduate and post graduate levels. However, it’s an internal process and every institute has its own criteria that takes into consideration the overall profile and various other metrics to grant a scholarship to a student.

  • (c) Student Employment

    Recent reforms in the The U.K. work permit rules mean international students can now work for up to 20hrs a week during course time and 40hrs a week during vacations at an average of about £10-15 per hour. While not much, such opportunities certainly enable to student to make ends meet when it comes to living expenses.

  • (4) Academic Freedom - Possibility to change fields, courses

    While changing fields is technically possible, there are several complicated requirements such as time spent in current field to not be more than a year to re application of visa to even having to depart and come back on a new visa in some cases.

Life After a Degree – Setting up for a life time of change

  • (1) Vise Tenure and Re-application

    U.K. student visa reforms allow Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral Degree holders to apply for a Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) that allows them to temporarily work after having recently finished their studies. The Graduate Visa is typically granted for 2 years after the completion of the 2-year long Student Visa.

    The UK post study work visa (PSW UK) allows international students to stay back in the UK to search for work for a period of 2 years after completing their graduate studies. The new visa rules will come into effect from September/autumn 2020 or later. During the first year after graduation, PSW visa holders can work in any job until they find work to move towards a general work visa. The post-study work visa allows graduates to work to stay up to two years (or three years in case of a doctoral degree) and look for work. Once the PSW visa expires, those who are looking to stay longer in the UK need to apply to a skilled work visa or general work visa (Tier 2 visa) or any other relevant visa. However, in order to get a Tier 2 visa, the general work visa, the candidate must be getting at least £25,600 per year or £10.10 per hour (whichever is higher). For some jobs, this can be higher or lower. In order to apply for a Tier 2 visa, you must have a confirmed job offer before you apply.

  • (2) Average Salaries and growth options

    The median average salary for all workers in the UK is £25,971. The average salary for full-time workers in the UK is £31,285. The average salary for full-time workers in the UK is £38,131.

  • (3) Scope of Permanent Residence

    You can apply for a permanent residence card in UK after completing 5 full years of a graduate job. To become a permanent resident, the applicant should get the “indefinite leave to remain (ILR) Visa”. A full-time job, good code of conduct and have no criminal record will help in securing the ILR visa in UK.

  • (4) Opportunities in India

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  • (5) Ongoing Support from SR

    An open and friendly society that receives international students with a warm heart and even values the cultural diversity brought by them is the trademark of the U.K. experience. Be it living in homestays and feeling like family to living in boarding schools or campuses, the promise it the same – a relaxed happy life that can foster lifelong friendships and give a boost to your career.