Visa and admission procedures to UK Varsities

Updated on: Tuesday, March 29, 2011

With several eager students willing to carryout overseas education these days, it is imperative for such aspirants to know the right admission process.

In correspondence with Kalvimalar through mail, the International Officer at Bournemouth University, Rachel Sunderland revealed that most common courses in UK universities fall into either the undergraduate or postgraduate category.

Applications for the latter usually come directly to the institution, but undergraduate applications need to be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, more commonly referred to as UCAS. A small fee for submitting an application is obtained from the candidate.

UCAS co-ordinates all UK undergraduate applications and their official website is www.ucas.com. It comprises of easy to use sections, including where to study, course search, apply, track progress and top 10 queries. Future communication about applications will also come from UCAS.

Postgraduate applications operate differently and are usually submitted online, directly to the institution. Often there will be an â€˜Online Applications Systemâ€™ or a form, which can be downloaded and submitted electronically or as a paper copy. Applicants should always follow the guidelines carefully to ensure all sections of the form are completed filled up.

Students applying to study in UK will also need to submit other documents with their application that include academic transcripts and certificates, English language test results, references (one academic reference for UG and two references for PG, one of which must be an academic reference) and a personal statement (SOP).

Students should make sure they include all these documents to ensure the smooth processing of the application.

Once an application has been successfully accepted and processed, students will then be given either an unconditional or a conditional offer.

An unconditional offer means the applicant has met all entry requirements and is offered a place. A conditional offer means that the applicant will get a place, assuming certain conditions are met. Students will also be required by most universities to pay a deposit in order to secure their offer for postgraduate courses.

Once all the conditions have been completed, the student will be issued with a Certificate of Acceptance for Studies, known as a CAS. Students will use this to apply for their Tier 4 (General) student visa.

New regulations for obtaining a student visa have recently been introduced by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) in order to simplify the visa application process. In addition to having a CAS, students will need to show they have sufficient funds to cover the tuition fee and living costs for the duration of their course.

UKBAâ€™s official website is: www.UKBA.homeoffice.gov.uk
from which students can use a â€˜points calculatorâ€™ to find out whether they are likely to score enough points to obtain a visa. This website is also the main source of information for updates to the current visa procedures.

Barbara Montagna, Bournemouth Universityâ€™s International Student Support Officer gives the following information: â€œStudents applying for a Tier 4 (General) student visa should make their application in good time, because the process can be lengthy and if students are not able to obtain their Entry Clearance before the start of the course, they may not be allowed to enrol. The earliest you can make your application is 3 months prior to the start date of the course.â€?

Although the course and visa application process may seem complex at first, students should be reassured that most institutions like Bournemouth University have a dedicated International Admissions Team on hand to give advice and keep students up to date with the status of their application.

Universities also often work in partnership with official representatives in other countries, who can help guide students through the process and answer general questions about studying in the UK.

Details of official Bournemouth University representatives in India can be found at www.bournemouth.ac.uk/futurestudents/international/country/india/incountry.html

If anyone would like to study at any of the UK institutions, remember, help is at hand.

Visa and admission procedures to UK Varsities

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