Birmingham City University : Financial preparation

Financial preparation

Coming to study in the UK is a big financial commitment and you should carefully consider the financial implications this may have on you and your family.

It is very difficult for international students to obtain financial aid from scholarships, trusts or charitable organisations in the UK.

As part of your visa application in your home country, you will need to provide evidence that you have sufficient funds to cover your tuition fees for your first year of study and living expenses of £5,400 for your first 12 months in the UK.

Although you may be eligible to work part-time in the UK, you can not rely on these earnings as a source of payment for your tuition fees or living costs, and you must be able to prove you have sufficient funds to cover these costs before you enter the UK. This also applies if you need to extend your visa at any time in the future.

The British Council can give you information about the financial support available locally to students wishing to study abroad. It is best to research this well in advance as some financial support can take over a year to apply for and all of your financial support must be in place before applying for your visa and coming to the UK.

Birmingham City University has a long tradition of welcoming students from around the world. 

Bringing money into the UK

Although the British Government places no limit on the amount of money you can bring into the UK, there may be limits imposed by your home country on the amount of money you can take out of your own country.

If your government limits the amount of money you can take out, you should arrange to have the money transferred to the UK from your overseas bank. You should arrange for permission to do this several months before the start of your course.

Once you have been granted permission regarding the transfer of funds you should deposit the money in a local bank or your central/national bank. You should check with the bank how long it will take to transfer the funds to the UK.

Please remember you can only transfer money to the University's bank account for payment of tuition fees or accommodation fees. You must not transfer funds into our account for your personal use. Overpayments we receive may be returned to the source of the transfer.

Before you travel to the UK you must:

• Check whether you need permission to transfer money to the UK
• Obtain permission to transfer money if required
• Deposit sufficient money in your bank at home, for transfer to the UK, to cover tuition fees, accommodation fees, and living expenses.

A guide to finance is set out in the International Admissions Handbook (PDF).

Tuition fees and payment

You will have been sent information from the International Office with your offer letter regarding the cost of your tuition fees. It is important that you take these costs into account when planning your financial situation before leaving your home country.

You can pay your tuition fees during the enrolment session by:

• Banker’s draft
• Personal cheque
• Traveller’s cheque
• Credit card
• Bank transfer (BACS)

Please note that all forms of payment must be in British Pounds Sterling – the Euro is not a currency in the UK and will not be accepted.

Although we will accept cash, it is unwise to carry large sums of money. For more detailed information about tuition fees, payment and other living costs please refer to the booklet enclosed with your unconditional offer letter from the International Office.

Money management

During the Orientation Programme which you undertake when you first arrive in Birmingham, you will have the opportunity to take part in a money management talk. We strongly recommend that you attend this talk, where you will be given tips on how to budget your money while living and studying in the UK.

As international students you are not entitled to any financial assistance from the UK Government and this is why it is important that your funding is secured before you begin your studies.

The figures below are based on average costs and it will not be possible for you to make significant savings on them. It is not advisable to plan on managing on much lower figures than these as it would not be realistic and would be likely to result in financial difficulty.

If possible, try to bring more than the estimated costs we have given you below as this will allow for unexpected costs and increases in UK prices.

The International UNIAID Calculator is an online tool which can help you to plan and manage your money for your studies in the UK.