Higher education in the UK has been in high demand for a long time. Universities offer quality programs of study and a wide range of directions and specialties, which attracts students from all over the world. The possibility of free education in England is something that can really please every applicant who wants to open up many new prospects.
Higher education in the UK: basic facts and figures
Studying at universities in England involves mostly independent learning - students spend about 20-30 hours a week within the walls of universities, and the remaining time is devoted to self-preparation: this is writing essays, dissertations and scientific papers, reading additional professional literature, creating group and individual projects, homework, tests, essays.
Teachers at the institutes are graduates of the best universities in the world. They are strict, but fair and impartial – they will always support their students in their endeavors.
In English higher education institutions, you can get bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. On average, 3 years of study at the bachelor's degree, 1 year in the magistracy, and 3-4 years in the doctoral program. Lectures are conducted in small groups of up to 15 people, an individual lesson plan is drawn up for each student.
The training is based on the CATS credit system, where one credit is equal to 10 hours of study. To obtain a degree, it is necessary to collect a specific number of credits: for example, for a bachelor's degree, about 360 CATS units are needed.
Advantages of studying in the UK
- Modern Academic Programs
- Lectures with highly qualified teachers
- Ranking English universities
- Standard of higher education
- Wide range of specialties
- First-class technical equipment.
Tuition fees
The initial cost of studying at British universities starts from 8,000£ -10,000 £ / year and can reach up to 40,000 £ -45,000 £ / year.
It is necessary to take into account the amount for accommodation and food, since the UK is a rather expensive country: to live in it you will need about 20-40 £ / day, 3000 £ / trimester - a student residence, from 1000 £ / month - an apartment.
Requirements for admission to England
To enter the British Institute, it is necessary to start preparing documents in advance in order to translate them into English, check and notarize. For admission you will need:
- Certificate of Upper Secondary Education
- Certificate of completion of the preparatory program A-Level, IB or Foundation
- Certificate of English Proficiency TOEFL or IELTS
- Entrance exams (if any)
- Portfolio, letters of recommendation
- Motivation letter.
How to study in the UK for free? Step-by-step plan
Unfortunately, the UK does not provide the opportunity to study completely for free at its universities, but you can get a good grant or scholarship that will partially cover the cost of training and living. To minimize costs, you can build the following action plan:
- Find out which universities in The UK provide funding to students
- Find English foundations that are willing to sponsor promising students
- Choose the most suitable educational institution
- Enroll in it, apply for a scholarship (you need to be a student already on the application for funding) OR participate in a grant competition that will immediately cover your studies, and you can go to England.
Scholarships and grants are the main essential way to minimize costs. There are no other options for free education in the country.
Scholarships in the UK: basic facts and figures
Funding can come from public, university and private companies. The most common size of university scholarships for bachelors is 10-30% of the cost of training, for masters and doctoral students - 50-60%. Universities partially cover the cost of training on the basis of academic merit, financial situation and personal circumstances. There are sports and creative scholarships, but small ones do not exceed 1300£-4000£. Usually, scholarships are paid for a year with the possibility of extension. Information about funding can be found on the official websites of UK universities in the Funding and Scholarships section. Competition among masters and doctoral students is lower than for bachelor's degrees, so they have a better chance of getting a grant. Most of the scholarships you can find in the leading areas of training:
- Nursing, psychology
- Regional Law
- IT-technologies, design
- Management
- Clinical Medicine
- Combination of business and administration
- Sports Department
- Economics.
The main requirements of scholarship funds for candidates:
- High GPA score
- Extracurricular achievements and awards
- High scores on exams (GMAT/GRE)
- Knowledge of English at the Advanced level
- Motivation letters
- Scientific activity.
Candidates are looking for:
- Dedication, perseverance in achieving social, environmental goals
- Commitment to Action and Struggle
- The need to study the environment
- Willingness to take risks
- A tendency to develop connections and achieve common goals.
Scholarship Categories
Academic Merit Scholarships
It is given out for good academic achievements. Basically, this is a discount on training up to 50%. A student can additionally be paid up to £ 25,000 per year for accommodation and food, but for undergraduate students this amount does not exceed £ 7,000.
Alumni scholarships
The discount is intended for graduates who have received a bachelor's degree and continue their studies at the same university on a master's program. It can be up to 50% of the course fee.
Subject-specific scholarships
It is issued for excellent grades and your interest in the specialty. Candidates can be selected from a portfolio or through a personal interview, checking the availability of your dissertations, scientific papers, articles and essays on the chosen topic. The savings are 50%.
Low Income Scholarships
A type of scholarship for families with low annual income. Depending on the university, a maximum of £20,000-70,000£/year is issued. Low Income Scholarships only partially cover the student's expenses. The average payout is around £3,000/year.
Performance-based Scholarships
University scholarships for achievements in sports and creativity. Most often these are payments of up to £ 2800, their purpose is to support talented students in their classes.
The most popular scholarships and grants
Chevening Scholarship
A scholarship of the UK Government, funding master's programs in any specialization at any university in the UK, lasting one year. The most common financing option among foreigners.
Hill Foundation Scholarship
A scholarship designed for studetns who want to get a higher education in Britain. To win the competition, you need to collect a package of documents and prove your ambition.
Erasmus International Student Exchange Program
The program provides financial support to students and teachers. Thanks to this direction, it is possible to go for 1-2 semesters to another European university, which is part of the Erasmus partners.
Royal Society
Scholarship to study in the United Kingdom provided by the Royal Society of Science. These grants are intended for scientists with doctoral degrees wishing to continue their scientific activities in the UK.
Стипендия CastleSmart Scholarship
A grant provided by the real estate agency CastleSmart. To participate in the program, you need to record a video and tell in it about your career plans and studies.
List of scholarship funds, thanks to which you can get a scholarship or grant
- The Hill Foundation
- The Felix Scholarship
- Arts Council England
- Economic and Social Research Council
- Dorothy Hodgkin Postgraduate Award
- Big Lottery Fund
- Wincott Foundation
- Shell Oil & Gas Company
- State Fund Innovate UK.
