International students

As an international student, it’s vital that you organise your finances well in advance, so that your funding is in place before you arrive in the UK - both for your study costs and your living expenses. After you have left your home country, it will be difficult to arrange financial support, and you cannot rely on being able to organise additional funding from the UK.

Bear in mind that the UK immigration authorities will not normally give you permission to enter the country, or extend your existing visa, unless you can show that you can cover your study costs.

For a list of tuition fees for our courses, visit our Fees page.

For more information about London living costs, visit our Living costs page.

To find out about paying your fees, visit our Payment methods and refunds page. Note that as as international student, you'll need to pay a deposit (part of your course fee) if you receive an unconditional offer from us.

Note that as an international student, you should not claim Council Tax Benefit or any social security benefit, as you will be breaking the terms of your visa.

What funding could I get?

Student loans and grants

Most international students pay their fees themselves, for example by taking out a bank loan. Others may get help from from family and friends.

If you're an international student, you will not normally be eligible for UK-based student loans or grants.

For more information on eligibility for UK-/EU-based funding, visit the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website.

You can approach both private- and government-backed organisations in your home country for funding or loan schemes. Information about these can sometimes be found on government education sites, or at your nearest British Council office

US Federal Loans

US students interested in applying for Federal Student Aid will find more information on our US loans page.

Externally funded scholarships

There are a number of scholarship opportunities for international students. Most of these are for studying at postgraduate level and are highly competitive. The application deadlines are usually a long time before the start of the academic year, so you need to find out about scholarships as early as possible.

For more information about scholarships and other sources of funding for your studies, visit:

University of Westminster Scholarships

The University of Westminster offers a generous scholarship scheme for international students.

Our scholarships are normally awarded on the basis of three criteria: academic excellence, development potential, and financial need. Competition is high for our scholarships and we receive many more applications than we can fund, so make sure you have explored other ways to fund your studies too.

For full details of our scholarships, visit our Scholarships pages.

Note that you must have an offer of a place at the University before you can apply for any of our scholarships.

Visas

If you are coming to study on a course of six months or longer, you must get a Tier 4 General Student Visa from your home country before travelling to the UK.

If you are coming to study on a course lasting fewer than six months, you may be able to apply for a Student Visitor visa. Please be aware that this visa has greater restrictions than a Tier 4 visa.

More information about visas and application procedures can be found on the UK Border Agency website and the UKCISA website.

Working in the UK during your course

Working part-time during your studies can provide much-needed extra income, as well as valuable work experience and skills development. But when you plan your finances, bear in mind that you cannot rely on earnings from work to cover all your costs.

The regulations regarding work permission are complex and the information given here is for general guidance only. If you are in the on a UK Tier 4 student visa and you are attending a degree level course, you will normally have the right to work 20 hours per week during the semester and full-time during the holidays. However, if you will be studying on a full-time course, please be aware that working more than 15 hours per week could jeopardise your ability to complete your course.

If you have a Tier 4 visa issued to attend a pre-sessional course only, you cannot work more than 10 hours per week.

Your Tier 4 visa should specify the maximum number of working hours allowed.

If you have a Student Visitor Visa, you are not allowed to work.

For more information on working while you're here, visit ukcisa.org.uk

Working in the UK after your course

When you have successfully completed your course, you may be able to apply for a Post-Study Work visa, which will allow you to work in the UK for two years.

For more details, visit ukcisa.org.uk

Will I have to pay Council Tax?

To be exempt from paying Council Tax, you must be attending a full-time course that lasts at least one academic year, requires at least 24 weeks' attendance, and a minimum of 21 hours' study per week. Your exemption applies from when you start your course.

New students: If you move into a property before the start of your course, you’ll have to pay Council Tax up until when you enrol. Please bear this in mind when deciding on a date to move in.

However, if you’re aged under 20 and have just completed your A levels or an equivalent course, you should be exempt from paying Council Tax from 1 May until 31 of October - by which time you’ll be enrolled on your full-time course.

If you live in Halls of Residence, you’ll automatically be exempt from paying. However, if you live in privately rented accommodation, you’ll have to prove you’re a student to the local Council Tax Office.

If you live by yourself or in a house where every adult is a full-time student, you’ll not have to pay Council Tax, but you all need to provide proof of your student status to the local Council Tax Office.

You can request a Council Tax Exemption Certificate from your School Registry Office after enrolment.

If you’re a full-time student sharing with two or more people who aren’t students, a bill will be generated. Although full-time students aren’t liable to pay, the non-students in the house are. If you provide your Council Tax Exemption Certificate to the Council Tax Office, you should be excluded from the bill and cannot be pursued for any unpaid money.

If you’re a full-time student and you live with only one other person who isn’t a full-time student, they are liable to pay the bill but will qualify for a 25% discount called a 'single person's discount'. However, you’ll need to submit your Council Tax Exemption Certificate to be excluded and receive the discount.

If you rent and share with others, you should check the terms of your contract, as sometimes Council Tax is included as part of the rent. The agreement may also state you have to pay a share towards Council Tax. If so, you could be liable to contribute towards this cost.

There is an exception to the rules listed above: if you own your house/flat or you are the only named person on the tenancy and you have tenants or adult family members living with you who are not full-time students, there will be a Council Tax bill issued and you will be liable to pay. Your student status will not exempt you.

Visit the Students and Council Tax page at Directgov.