Congratulations! You likely have a place at university. If not, then you are thoroughly researching, which is great. Either way, you want to know what financial support is available for international students. The harsh truth is very little. As part of your student visa requirements, you have to prove you have sufficient funds for your educational stay in the UK. If you don’t have the money, it would be very hard for you to legally study abroad. But don’t despair! You may not be able to get student loans or grants, but there are some options that can at least help.
Personal Savings
Obviously, if you have the money to fund your own education in the UK, then this is the best option. In fact, in order to study in the UK as an international student, you must at least use some of your own money to support yourself. However, if you are reading this, then it is unlikely that you have enough money to fund all of your education, so let’s move swiftly onto the next option.
Scholarships, Grants or Cashback Schemes
This is probably the most common form of financial support for international students. There are various different scholarships available for a multitude of different things from victims of 9/11 and subsequent terrorist attacks, who have the 9/11 scholarship fund, to scholarships for the academically talented and the Fulbright Scholarships for US Graduates. CompareTheCourse.com is also currently offering 500 Scholarships and 500 Cashback offers to those who apply through them.
For more information on scholarships, go to http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-funding-your-studies.htm.
Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs)
DSAs are for students with disabilities to help with the costs that you incur attending your course as a result of your disability. It is not dependant on your income and doesn’t have to be repaid. Extra support may be available for special equipment, supplies (such as ink or Braille paper), non-medical helpers and travel expenses. For more information about DSAs, go to the Directgov website.
Helena Kennedy Foundation for Asylum Seekers
Article 26 of the Declaration of Human Rights says that everyone has the ‘right to an education’ and specifies that ‘higher education should be equally accessible’. The Helena Kennedy Foundation’s Article 26 Project ‘works with universities to negotiate tuition fee bursaries for those that have no access to student support through grants and loans’. They provide financial support for books and travel costs, as well as specialist support, advice & guidance. For more information, visit the Helena Kennedy Foundation’s website.
These are just some of the ways to fund your education as an international student. Although most would pay for everything out of savings, there are part or full scholarships and grants from organisations that want to help those that need it. Don’t give up just because you can’t afford it. Keep trying and keep applying for scholarships and grants.