Living cost
Before arriving at the university, you need to book your accommodation and manage your finances. Before starting your course of study, make sure you’ve sufficient funding with you to cover accommodation, tuition fees, stationery, food, and social cost. Current UK student visa
requirements state that you must have at least £1,015 in your account each month you plan to stay in the UK anywhere outside of London which happens to be £12,180 per year.
To cover your accommodation, food, bills, and other living costs you can estimate around £800 –£1,300 a month. This is a rough estimation. Cost may differ according to the city you live in and how much you want to spend.

Food
If you buy your own food, it could cost you about £25 to £30 per week.

Mobile and Internet
The cost of mobile and internet charges varies upon providers but prepaid services are generally cheaper. £10 per week will cover all your mobile and internet bills.

Bills
If you live in an apartment or house, you need to calculate the bills of water, heating, electricity, etc, that will cost you around £10 per week depending on the time of the year.

Travel
If you live far from the university, you’ll need to include travel expenses in your budget. So it can go from £10 to £20 per week depending on the traveling distance.

Study Materials 

During your university time, you’ll need to buy books, printer cartridges, notepads, paper, etc. This can be around £10/week.

Fun
When you come to the UK, there will be some time for fun so you need to estimate the cost for it. So it can go from £20-£30 months.
You can discuss accommodation and living cost plans with our expert team of counselors.

Discounts
You can try the National Union of Students Card and the International Student Identity Card to get discounts in many shops, restaurants, and businesses.
For more discounts and budgeting you can visit this.

Book a session and discuss other financial requirements for UK  Admission Process with our team of experts.

In order to get admission to a reputed UK University for your course, an IELTS test with a good score is mandatory. Good marks in IELTS for UKVI ensure that the candidate has sufficient communication skills and ready to begin study in the UK. Our support team can help you with planning and score good marks in the IELTS exam. Get a free session with the SOTE team to plan your IELTS learning path.

Prerequisite may vary depending upon the type, of course, you’re applying for, nationality, university, and academic level. Universities set their own requirement based on their own preferences. The prerequisite is made to access suitability for the course you’re going to enroll.

UK Universities will ask you for these before taking you to the university.

• ID Documents
• Entrance tests
• Language proficiency check
• Qualification and grade
• Experience and requirements
• Interviews

Universities also may ask for personal statements, so if you are applying as an international student, we advise you to add reasons for wanting to study in the UK.

It is important to check qualifications before applying to any university. To get admission to top universities, there are criteria. Prerequisite may change from nation to nation for different courses. Most of the top universities ask for good academic qualifications and English test scores. Book an appointment to discuss qualification things with our team.

We have a dedicated team to look after all the counseling and course selection processes. After you’ve decided to pursue your further studies in the UK, you might have confused about choosing the perfect course, and the best university that suits your budget. Our team going to ask about your interest, passion, the field you’re interested in and according to that, we help you choose your dream course. We’ll provide you all the information on academic requirements, financial requirements, the document you need to submit for the university, and the course you’ve chosen. We are here to shape your tomorrow’s education.

Higher education in the UK offers different shorter and extensive courses. Among them, there are various levels of courses in different domains. Before choosing the course level, select an area of study that suits your learning needs, then choose the study sector, and finally choose the level of difficulty that suits your learning ambitions. Know your level and inquiry, we can help you choose the right course level.

The UK has a diverse range of study options available in different universities. It might get hectic to choose the right university. Before choosing the university, it’s always worth visiting the university if you can afford the travel cost. Visit the university, attend open days, research well, and talk to as many people as possible.
If you’re unable to attend the university, do not worry. The shape of Tomorrow’s education is a pioneer in abroad studies and our expert counselors will always help you to find the correct UK University.

While submitting the application, every candidate has to go through an interview session. We have an expert interview management team which provide valuable information and tips regarding the interview and arrange mock session before visa submission.

If you want to study in the UK, the types of visa you need depend on your course length, place of study, and type.

If the course is of less than 6 months, you can apply for a Standard Visitor visa.

If the course length is for 6-11 months, you can apply for a short-term study visa.

A student visa is of long duration. To apply for it, you must get a sponsor from a licensed college, or university with the confirmed location. With this visa, you’ll also be able to work.

A Child Student Visa for students aged between 4-17 years old.

Our counselors can help you choose the best visa for your case and suggest the best option for you. Make sure to submit all the necessary documents required for visa application.

You can know more about Student Visas here.

All students applying in the UK for a period of 6 months or more than that will need to pay Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which is a part of your visa application. If you’re staying there for less than 6 months then you don’t need to pay for it.

If you’re applying for a visa extend inside the UK, you’ll be required to pay IHS even if your course length is less than 6 months. The fee depends on the length of stay. You’ll be required to pay £470 for every stay that lasts 6–12 months and £235 for an additional period which is less than 6 months. 

Whether you’re planning to study in the UK or arrived there already, at some point you’ll need a bank account for sure. In the past, it was very difficult to open a bank account but now banks have become a bit more flexible in terms of documents they accept as proof.
If you’d like to open an international student bank account in the UK, you’ll need:

• Current Passport
• Proof of address in the UK
• Valid Visa
• Student ID or acceptance letter from the university
• 3 months statements from home bank

The Top UK Banks are:

• Barclays
• HSBC
• Lloyds
• RBS/NatWest
• TSB
• Santander

Most of the reputed banks will not charge you monthly costs for a basic current account which is sufficient for everyday banking needs. If you need additional features like cashback, interest and insurance, household bills, it will cost you monthly fees.

ATM Fees
If you use your bank’s ATM, the service is free. However, some ATM machines from other banks will charge you £1.50 to £3 per transaction. Before using other bank’s ATM machines, you should check if it is going to charge you extra money. But using ATMs outside is never free.
If you’re using a foreign ATM and asks you which currency it should charge you in, always use charge in the local currency. If you don’t, it will cost you a lot than you expected.
When you manage your finances from your home account, you’ll be charged more on conversion fees each time you use a debit card or withdraw cash, so having an account in the UK helps you avoid extra charges and saves your money, and lets you transact money online in less fee.

It is difficult for students to get around since travel cost is constantly on increase. Oyster cards are the best option on the buses, DLR, and some trains. If you’re 18+, on full-time education, or mandatory work placement you may be eligible for Student Travel Card. You can also apply for 16-25 RailCard as there is no limit to the number of times you can use the RailCard so it is great news for anyone with the RailCard.
To apply, you must be enrolled with the institution, or university that is registered on the TFL scheme and need to submit a colored digital photo, student enrollment ID, course start and end date, twenty-pound fee, and active email and phone number.
Apart from the travel card, if you want discounts on food or non-alc drinks, you can apply for ISIC (International Student Identity Card) card.
Get a clear understanding of Student Travel Card Information here.

Since it is the first time in the UK for most of the students, you might need help with airport pickup, and find the university.

We help you get a safe and easy airport transfer service for students arriving from overseas which includes a personal taxi service that will take you to the university. Please be aware that UK government have established a notice about 10-day mandatory self-isolation rule for people from all countries. We are working to ensure your trip from the airport to university is as safe as possible and we have managed extra measures in place this year due to COVID-19.

How to get from Airport to your final destination?
If you’ve already booked transportation from the airport to your college then that’s fine, if not you can ask the general informational desk at the airport that will advise you on the best way to travel to your college or university. But in most cases, Colleges send their staff member to
receive the new international student at the airport. If they do not arrange the pickup service, public transportation service is the best option for you. Public transport is the most frequent and affordable way.

If you need airport pickup service, please let us know before 48 hours so that we can easily assist you.

Study in the UK is an exciting adventure, but it can be difficult to know what exactly you need to do or bring – specially during the time of COVID-19.

Our support team will help you choose the best option available with regards to airport pick-ups, accommodation, medical provisions, part-time jobs, insurance, foreign exchange, etc.

Documents you need

• Passport with visa if needed
• Academic certificates including IELTS or TOEFL (Originals and Photocopy)
• Offer and Acceptance Letter from University
• Few Passport size photographs
• Travel and Health insurance
• Proof of financial documents
• Emergency Contact Numbers if anything Emergency
• All the documents and information sent by the university
• Direction to the university and accommodation
• Driving license
• Reference letter from your bank in your own country which will help you open a bank account in
  the UK.

Checklist for your place of study

Make sure you’ve got everything organized with extra time to spare before you leave home. But before that, you need to look at these checklists for your place of study.

• Have you got the information on how to get to your university or college from the airport and how much it will cost?
• Have you informed University or college when you’re likely to arrive?
• In case if you face any problems during your journey, do you have a 24-hour telephone number
  for someone you can contact at your place of study?

About Medical Records

If you regularly take any medicine and have brought any medication with you in the UK, you’ll need a letter from the doctor translated in English which explains what the medicine is about and what is it for.

Luggage

Most of the airlines have a restrictive weight or size for luggage. It is better to check before arriving at the airport so that you don’t have to throw your stuff. And there is also a restriction on what you can bring into the UK. You should check before packing the bags.

Insurance

Always take out travel insurance that covers delays, medical emergencies, and the cost of replacing any belongings if they’re lost during your journey. Don’t forget to take out travel and  medical insurance for the duration of your stay in the UK.

Money

We advise you to bring money that lasts until you’ve opened a bank account in the UK or transferred money into the bank. Although you can bring as much as you want in any form, around £500 is enough. You can bring travelers’ cheques that can be cashed in banks or airports in case if you need extra money.

Clothing and other items

You must bring enough pair of clothes required for your journey to the UK. It is a great idea to bring the national dress with you which you can wear to social events or similar programs or to show people who would like to learn new cultures and ethnic wear about other countries.
Weather in the UK is famously changeable, so always be prepared for it. Checklists for settling in

•  Have you managed a suitable accommodation service?
•  Have you estimated and managed your finances?
• Have you had a health check?
• Do you know where to get help if you face any difficulties?

Get complete pre-departure guide here