Studying abroad in the United Kingdom is a big decision to make, the whole idea can be so overwhelming. I’ve been through the process before utilizing my undergraduate school's international program. Now, I’m going through it again, this time without the support of a school department. I felt that organizing some of my thoughts into blogs would help relieve some stress of the whole process. I also feel that, maybe, I can pass on some knowledge to those who are seeking it.
So, here is my list of five things you will need to accomplish to study abroad in the UK, some advice, and some resources that might help. There are so many more things to consider than and to do before going abroad than what I have listed here. Honestly, I could probably write a book about it. These are just five of the biggest points I feel you will hit along the way.
First and foremost, pick your program….then a second, and a third, maybe even a fourth. This may seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised by how many people get caught up in the idea of going to another country and wait until the last moment before finding the program that is best for them. Or, pick just one school and not have a backup school, just in case. Also, keep in mind that universities have deadlines and often they are in the fall, so start your search early in the year, find the right fit for you and what you want to study, and apply as early as possible.
When it comes to applying, I always recommend contacting the school or the program lead for advice on your application and what you can do to strengthen it. For instance, I am wanting to study fine art conservation. I have the degree in fine art, but I am lacking in chemistry, which is an important part of conservation. So, after discussing this with my first pick school, I started taking undergraduate chemistry courses here in the States at my local community college. This will make me a better candidate for the degree program I want. It’s also so much cheaper to take prerequisites here than it is over there. Do your research and make sure you are well informed about the requirements.
Also, make check that the degree you are looking into will be acknowledged in the United States. The UK has similar degrees to the US: Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD’s, etc. These are all fine and transfer over (though there are some medical and veterinary degrees that will not). However, there are other programs that fall outside of the degree spectrum that we are used to in the US. These are graduate diplomas and postgraduate diplomas.
These diplomas (and certificates) fall somewhere between an undergraduate and a graduate degree. The difference between these two is the level of study, or difficulty, required to complete. The Graduate Diploma is typically a one year program taken after the completion of an undergraduate degree. It is taught on the same level as an undergraduate degree, but does not actually award a degree. Think of it as an extension onto the end of a bachelors, or an extra year to specialize in something related to your field.
The Postgraduate Diploma is very similar to the Graduate Diploma, except it is taught on a graduate (or postgraduate) level. It can be described as a full master’s program, without the dissertation. This little difference means that it doesn’t hold as much weight as an actual graduate degree.
It is usually recommended that a US student not waste their time on these diplomas since the United States doesn’t really recognize them. However, you might find that some graduate programs require them as a prerequisite if you don’t have the correct undergrad degree or are lacking experience. This is something to consider when looking for schools abroad.
A great resource for advice on programs and assistance with finding what is best for you is Across the Pond. They will ask you for some information about your accomplishments and what you are wanting to pursue. Then they will help pair you with a school that is a great fit. They have affiliated schools that work directly with them, which can make the whole process a little easier.
The next item to consider is cost and do a thorough cost comparison. How much will it cost you vs a United States school? Furthermore, if it is more expensive, are you OK with spending the extra money or taking out larger loans?
Sometimes, it actually can be cheaper to complete your degree overseas. This is because it usually takes less time to complete a degree in the UK. A typical undergraduate degree can be completed in three years and a master’s in one. There are exceptions, but you will find that this timeline is quite common. Keep in mind that some schools in the UK can cost tens of thousands of dollars a year, but perhaps, removing that final year will save you some money in the end.
Or, maybe it won’t. Tuition is typically far more expensive for overseas students than it is for UK/EU or even Commonwealth students. This can sometimes be as much as double what home students would be paying. There is also the conversion rate that you must consider. The dollar doesn’t go as far in the UK. When I went in 2013, it was $1.60 for 1 pound. That doesn’t seem like much, but if you are paying your tuition, that extra .60 cents can make a very large difference. Now, with the uncertainty of Brexit, the conversion has dropped significantly. I’ve seen it below $1.25 everyday this week, so this might actually be the best time to study abroad.
One more thing I need to mention when it comes to comparing cost is maintenance funds. Maintenance funds refers to money that you have on hand to support yourself. This money is used for rent, food, bills, travel, and pretty much anything else you need to live. The amount required varies. If you are spending 50% or more of your time studying in London, you will be required to have 1,265 pounds per month in your account for nine months. This means that you need to prove to the UK government that you have 11,385 pounds, in addition to the cost of tuition, at your disposal. They essentially want to make sure that you will not be homeless or starving while you are studying in the UK, because you will have zero access to public assistance (except for the healthcare system, but you pay a surcharge for that). So, this is an extra expense on top of tuition that you must provide for, which can significantly increase the cost of study abroad.
The government has provided a program for US students wanting to study abroad: The William D. Perkins Program. This program allows federal funding for study abroad through two loans: the Stafford and the PLUS loan. If you are currently using students loans or have in the past, you are probably familiar with the Stafford loan. There are yearly limits (Undergraduate is $12,500 and Graduate is $20,500) as well as lifetime limits.
Unfortunately, the Stafford loans typically aren’t enough to cover tuition and maintenance funds. So, the government has provided a federal private loan which can be used to cover the full cost of attendance, minus any other loans or scholarships you may have. Even though this is federal funding, keep in mind that it is a private loan which is different than a normal federal loan. This can have consequences down the road when it comes time to pay them back.
There are some stipulations for being eligible for US federal funding. The biggest, in my opinion, is that the course you are taking has to be a degree granting course. This means those graduate diplomas or postgraduate diplomas we discussed earlier will not be eligible for federal funding. It can make getting into some graduate programs difficult if one of th0se diplomas is a prerequisite to the masters.
The other stipulation I will discuss is that the school granting the degree has to be a UK recognized body. This simply means that the United Kingdom government has officially validated that the university is legitimate. This recently came into the press when Theresa May, before she was PM, and her department revoked the sponsoring licenses of several hundred schools which no longer classified them as a recognized body.
This led to the deportation of nearly 50,000 international students, who the government had listed as being in the country illegally. In addition to being deported, the students lost out on the money they had paid to these schools for their education. This is now leading to the possibility of the deported students suing the UK government for illegal deportation. As you can see, it can be quite a mess over there for international students. Always be aware of any political situations that may be happening while you are preparing to go abroad and while you there. You never know how they will affect you.
If the program you are wanting to do doesn’t qualify for federal funding, there is only one other loan option available to US students: the Sallie Mae Smart Option loan. This is a true private loan, not federally funded, so make sure you seek the proper advice before proceeding. Also, this loan is notoriously difficult to be approved for without a cosigner, so if you do go for it, make sure you put yourself in the best possible position. I have searched high and low for any other type of loan, but unfortunately, I can’t find any, specifically for graduate students.
There are a couple of other companies out there that provide private loans to undergraduate US students wanting to go abroad. Also, the list of schools that accept this is quite limited. Again, do your research before seeking any sort of funding like this. I’ll put some links at the end of this post for your reference.
I also want to note that you cannot get any sort of federal grant for international study. There are some scholarships you can get and other sponsored programs, such as Fulbright. Again, I’ll list those at the end.
The fourth item I wish to discuss is disbursement dates. This could be lumped into the funding section, but I feel it is important enough to point out on it’s own. So, if you are relying on federal funding to pay for your overseas study, you must find out the disbursement dates. The school will provide these to you once they begin processing the loans, but that might not be until a couple of months before you leave for the UK. I recommend thoroughly searching their website for this information or asking the financial aid office.
Because the school will be accepting money from the United States government, they have to abide by US regulations which state that all federal funding must be disbursed into equal potions at the beginning of each semester for the school year. This means that if your program is a two semester program, then your loans will be split into two equal portions and used at the beginning of each semester. If your program is three semesters, then it will be split into three portions.
This can actually lead to some financial issues for the student. You will be responsible for paying for tuition when the school says it is due. Most schools understand how the money is disbursed and have a fee schedule in place for students who are relying on federal loans. However, some schools don’t. That is why it is important to ask. The school you are interested in might have a strange pay schedule.
One example of this is UAL. The first payment is due at the beginning of the first semester and you must pay 50% of tuition. The second semester, you must pay 30% of what is left on your bill, and the third semester you pay the remaining 20%. However, your student loans will be divided into three equal portions and not adjusted to this pay schedule. That means, if a third of your loans is not enough to cover 50% of your tuition, you will be responsible for the remaining balance out-of-pocket.
However, it’s a little different for private loans. Typically, the full amount of the private loan is disbursed to the school at the beginning of the first semester. All of tuition for the year will be taken out of that loan, then the rest refunded to the student. As long as you have taken out enough to cover tuition, you won’t have to worry about the possibility of the disbursements not matching the fee schedule.
Luckily, universities are very understanding and might be willing to work with you if you reach out to them in advance. Always ask.
On a final, final note, you cannot get federal funding for your visa fees or your plane tickets. This will have to come out-of-pocket, though, sometimes you can get reimbursed for the cost later from your loans.
The last item on my list is visas. It might seem a little scary to apply for a visa for another country, but it actually isn’t that difficult. There is a ton of paperwork and so many steps, but the good news is that your university will most likely have an office for international students with experts on hand to help you out. I highly recommend using this resource as the application can get confusing. There’s also a lot of papers and proofs that you need to provide, so again, it’s always nice to have some help.
Also, you will have to get biometrics taken. This is where you go to a local federal facility, I actually think it might be run by the British Consulate, and you have some things officially documented about yourself. They will take your fingerprints, a photo, and some other general information. This is something that the Consulate can compare against the passport you will later provide to ensure that you are who you say you are.
You can only apply for a Visa three months before the start of your course, but I HIGHLY recommend that you apply the day that three month mark rolls around. It’s a busy time for visa processing and you never know what can happen to delay yours. Also, if for some reason they request additional paperwork, this gives you time to get what they need in order to continue processing your visa.
I have a fine example for you from my own personal experience. My program started January 14th, 2013, so I sent off my application mid-October 2012. Not too long after, Hurricane Sandy hit New York and caused an emergency situation. The city was shut down for a while. Mail was permanently lost or severely delayed. I didn’t know if my application (along with my passport) had been lost or destroyed. There was literally nothing I could do about the situation. I couldn’t apply for a new passport, that process was also handled in New York city. So, I just had to wait and pray.
Luckily, I received my passport two weeks before I left. It was close. Just goes to show, you never know what can happen. I wouldn’t have dreamed that a hurricane would decimate New York in October. It was a freak twist of nature. So, plan ahead.
My final piece of advice I will give you is to never give up. If this is your dream and your passion, you can find a way to accomplish it. You might be told no by so many schools, or not qualify for any federal funding, or have a cosigner to help with private funding. Don’t despair, just keep at it and you will find away, even if that means putting it off for a year or two. Research as much as you can and reach out to your UK school for help. They want you as a student and will try all they can to help.
I know there was a lot of information in this list, and there are so many things I didn’t cover. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments.
List of Resources:
Assistance with finding programs:
Across the Pond
Information about Visas
UK Visa and Immigration Guidelines
Funding Options
Fafsa
Fulbright Sponsorship
(I’m not recommending taking out a loan or putting any loan companies here as a way to convince you to apply. I’m simply providing these as a reference. It took a lot of searching for me to uncover them, and I hope to save you a little time in your search.)
Prodigy Finance
Funding University
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