World Class Study in London Virtual Counsellors' Conference

Institution introductions:

Institution introductions - an introduction to Imperial College London, King's College London, LSE, SOAS and UCL

Writing an effective Personal Statement:

Writing an effective Personal Statement

 Writing an effective UCAS Reference:

Writing an effective UCAS Reference

 Admissions panel session 1 (Tuesday 23 February):

Hear from our admissions teams

Admissions panel session 2 (Wednesday 24 February): 

Hear from our admissions teams

How our institutions are supporting disadvantaged and underrepresented UK students:

How our institutions are supporting disadvantaged and underrepresented UK students

Meet our Students session 1 (Tuesday 23 February):

Meet our students

 Meet our Students session 2 (Wednesday 24 February):

Meet our students

Whilst we anticipate a return to normal teaching and learning in September 2021, we are not yet able to confirm this. 

To find out more about our responses to coronavirus and the arrangements in place for our current students in regard to teaching, housing and assessment, please visit our institution websites: Imperial College London, King's College London, LSE, SOAS, UCL

Fee status classification

An applicant's fee status is assessed in accordance with guidelines provided by the Department of Education: Education (Fees and Awards) Regulations 2007.

We advise candidates to refer to the guidance available on the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website.

Home/UK students

The tuition fee for new UK students starting a course in September 2021 is £9,250 for academic year 2021/2. 

The fee may rise with inflation in the subsequent years of study.

Information for UK nationals living in the EU, EEA or Switzerland.

EU students

The UK Government has confirmed that students from the EU, other EEA countries and/or Switzerland starting a course on or after 1 August 2021 will be charged the Overseas fee.

It is our understanding that this does not apply to Irish students or students benefitting from Citizens’ Rights under the EU Withdrawal Agreement, EEA EFTA Separation Agreement or Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement respectively.

We anticipate that students who have been granted settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme will generally be eligible for home fee status if they have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for at least 3 years. 
Students with pre-settled status and 3 years’ residence in the UK, Gibraltar, EEA, Switzerland or the British/EU overseas territories (unless that residence was wholly or mainly for the purpose of education) are also likely to qualify for home fee status. These arrangements have not yet been confirmed. The UK government are expected to publish Regulations in early 2021. 

Please refer to the Department for Education Policy document and FAQs. 

Information for UK nationals living in the EU, EEA or Switzerland.

Guidance and advice on fee status assessment is available from the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website. 

Overseas students

The tuition fee for Overseas students will vary between institutions and the course studied. Please visit our individual institution tuition fee webpages for more information:

• Imperial College London
• King's College London 
• London School of Economics and Political Science
• SOAS
• UCL

Tuition fee loan

• Home/UK students can apply for a tuition fee loan from the UK Government. The tuition fee loan covers the full cost of tuition for the duration of the undergraduate programme. 
• EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals will no longer be eligible for support from Student Finance England.
  
  EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic or Liechtenstein nationals with settled status who have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for at least 3 years will generally be eligible for a tuition fee loan. EU nationals, and their family members, will generally be awarded tuition fee support by the SLC where the student has pre-settled status and has 3 years’ residence in the UK, Gibraltar, EEA and Switzerland (unless that residence was wholly or mainly for the purpose of education). These arrangements have not yet been confirmed. The UK government are expected to publish Regulations in early 2021. 
• Please refer to the information for UK nationals living in the EU, EEA or Switzerland, the Department for Education Policy Document and FAQs.

Living costs

We suggest that students budget £1,100-£1,300 a month to cover living costs, including accommodation. We recommend that students start thinking about budgeting before starting their degree programme. There are lots of online tools and resources available to help students plan a budget and think about managing their money, as well as advice on our individual institution websites. The following may be helpful:

• Money Saving Expert Student Budgeting Planner
• Save the Student budgeting guide 
• Student budget calculators 

Government support

Home/UK students

The Maintenance Loan is designed to support full-time students living in England with the cost of living. Students can apply for a maintenance loan via the funding authority, Student Finance England.

The maintenance loan amount will vary depending on where the student lives, studies and their household income. 

A proportion of the maintenance loan is available to all eligible students, regardless of their financial situation, referred to as a 'guaranteed loan'. The remaining amount is means-tested, determined by household income. The maximum loan amount for students living away from home in London in 2020-21 is £12,010.

Full details of eligibility criteria. 

The arrangements are different for students living in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales:

• Students living in Northern Ireland: Student Finance NI
• Students living in Scotland: Student Awards Agency for Scotland
• Students living in Wales : Student Finance Wales

EU and overseas students

Overseas students, i.e. those from outside the UK, are not generally eligible for a maintenance loan. 

However, funding may be available for overseas students from external agencies, bodies or their home government. Visit the British Council and UK Council for International Student Affairs websites for more information.

Students who have been granted settled status under the EUSS will generally be eligible for maintenance support if they have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for at least 3 years. The SLC will award tuition fee and maintenance support to EEA and Swiss workers, and their family members, where the student has pre-settled status and 3 years’ residency in the UK, Gibraltar, EEA and Switzerland. They will also ask for financial evidence to confirm applicants are working, have worked or are looking for work, for example, P60 or a letter from an employer. Please see the the Department for Education Policy Document and FAQs. These arrangements have not yet been confirmed. The UK government are expected to publish Regulations in early 2021. 

Information for UK nationals living in the EU, EEA or Switzerland.

Institution specific financial support

All five of our institutions offer generous financial support packages, including bursaries and scholarships, to support undergraduate students studying at our universities. Financial support is available to UK and Overseas (including EU/EEA) students. 

The eligibility criteria, award value and application processes will vary.

Please visit our individual institution pages for more detailed information:

• Imperial College London
• King's College London
• LSE
• SOAS
• UCL 

1.Will EU/EEA/Swiss students starting a programme in September 2021 need to apply for a visa? 
EU/EEA/Swiss students who were not living in the UK before 31 December 2020 will need immigration permission to study in the UK, unless they already hold settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. This does not apply to Irish nationals.

Students who are not eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme and are studying a full-time, degree programme will need to apply for the new Student Visa Route which opened on 5 October 2020. This replaces the Tier 4 Student Visa.   

Advice can be obtained from UKCISA and our individual institutions:

• Imperial College London
• King's College London
• LSE
• SOAS
• UCL

2. Will students be permitted to work during their studies? 
Students with a valid Student Visa are permitted to work up to 20 hours per week (paid or unpaid) during term time, and full time during vacations.

Student Visa holders may not be self-employed, work as a professional sports person/sports coach, entertainer, doctor or dentist in training, or take a permanent (open-ended) contract.

3. Can international students work in the UK after graduation?
International students require immigration permission to work and study in the UK after graduation. This also applies to EU/EEA/Swiss students who arrived in the UK from 1 January 2021 and have not been granted settled/pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. International students will either need to find an employer to sponsor them under the new Skilled Worker Route or will need to apply under the new Graduate Worker Route.

In 2019 the UK Government announced a new Graduate Worker Route visa which will allow international graduates to stay in the UK to live and work, or to look for work, after they graduate. Undergraduate students will be able to apply to stay for two years. View the Home Office Graduate Route Factsheet.

 The Graduate Route is due to be launched in Summer 2021. The immigration rules for the Graduate Route will not be published until Spring 2021. 

EU/EEA/Swiss students who have been granted settled/pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme will be able to remain in the UK to work after graduation. 

The most up-to-date information available is detailed on the UKCISA website. 

4. What healthcare arrangements are in place?
International students will be required to apply for a Student Route visa in order to undertake undergraduate study at one of our institutions. As part of the visa application students will be required to pay an Immigration Health Surcharge (currently £470 per year for a student) in order to access the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. 

EU/EEA/Swiss nationals who were resident in the UK before 31 December 2020 and have been granted settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme can continue to access NHS services. 

Students may also decide to take out private health insurance whilst studying in the UK. This is a personal decision. Our institutions are unable to make recommendations about the best private health insurance providers.

Students who have a disability or medical condition are advised to contact our institutions directly for detailed guidance regarding the support services available: Imperial College London, King's College London, LSE, SOAS, UCL. 

1. Is accommodation guaranteed?
Most institutions will guarantee accommodation for all new first year undergraduate students. After the first year, students will generally be expected to move into private accommodation. 

2. How long are accommodation contracts?
Contracts are generally for 38 or 39 weeks, including the vacation periods, but some institutions offer shorter (31 week) or longer (up to 51 week) contracts too. 

3. How much does accommodation cost?
The cost will vary between institution, accommodation type and location. 

The table below provides a rough guide, but please visit our individual institution pages for detailed information regarding our accommodation provisions, contracts and price lists. 

The cost of private housing will vary significantly depending on the location of the property, the number of occupants, the facilities and furnishing arrangements. 

4. What support is offered to students living in halls?
Each of our halls of residence has a dedicated support team, usually referred to as Residence Wardens, Welfare Leads or Student Residence Advisers. They will be able to offer practical support, deliver pastoral care and assist with personal issues. 

Additional assistance will be made available to students with disabilities or other support needs and students who are under 18. 

5. What support do you offer to students looking for private accommodation?

Each institution has its own accommodation team who can provide assistance to students looking for private accommodation in London. 

The University of London Housing Services also provide support to students studying at University of London colleges. They offer an accommodation search database, contract checking service and legal advice. They also run a number of events for students, including an annual Housing Fair, flatmate finder events, housing talks and advice sessions. 

The Private Housing guide is a useful source of information and advice.

Visit our accommodation webpages:

• Imperial College London
• King's College London
• LSE
• SOAS
• UCL

 Conference resources

• Key contacts, additional resources and videos
  

Information for advisers

• UK schools
• Overseas schools 

Digital visits

• Welcome to our virtual tour: Imperial360

Chat to current students 

• Connect with Imperial students and read blogs

Welcome to King's College London

Degree programmes

• King's College London offer an extensive range of courses covering the arts, humanities, law, the sciences (including a wide range of health areas such as psychology, medicine, nursing and dentistry) and social sciences including international affairs. Information about our faculties and departments can be accessed here.

Admissions information

• Undergraduate entry requirements and information about applying

• Contact Undergraduate Admissions

Information for international students

• Region specific information

Information for UK students

• Applying for study

Academic resources

• Find out more about our events

Student support

• Visit our King's College London Students' Union pages

• Accommodation information

Resources for parents

• Information and advice for parents

Visiting King's 

• Campus tours
  

Who to contact

• Speak to our current students 
• Contact our international team

125 years of LSE

Degree programmes

• LSE offers 40 undergraduate degrees. A full list of programmes can be found under the '

  Academic departments and their programmes' heading.

   

• Undergraduate Guide for entry in 2021 [PDF]

Admissions information

• Entry requirements overview
• Programme pages
• Admissions information - guidance regarding subject combinations, mathematics requirements, GCSEs and use of contextual information. 
• Undergraduate Admissions Assessment (UGAA)
• LSE Access and Participation Plan 

Information for international students

• Country specific entry requirements
• English language requirements
• Fee status classification and fees and funding information 
• Visa and immigration advice
• Graduate route visa information. Please also refer to our Graduate Route visa information sheet.

Information for UK students

• Information for students applying from the UK
• Contextual admissions
• Widening participation 
• Undergraduate Funding Guide for UK/EU Students for entry in 2021 [PDF]

Academic resources

• Events and resources for your students. Access academic department recordings, study skills resources and LSE Library materials.

Student support

• LSE offers a range of academic and student wellbeing services to support students throughout their time at the School. An overview has been provided here. 
• Applicants are advised to disclose their disability on the UCAS application. The applicant should contact the Disability and Wellbeing team as early as possible so that the School can start arranging support and making necessary adjustments. 

Virtual resources for students

There are lots of ways for prospective students to find out more about applying to and studying at LSE. 

• Virtual Undergraduate Open Day and Virtual Undergraduate Offer Holders' Day - listen to session recordings delivered by academic departments, support services and current students.
• LSE Discovery Sessions - an introductory presentation and Q&A session. 
• Live Chat - submit your questions to a member of the Student Marketing and Recruitment team.
• Additional online resources, including webinars, student video diaries, student blogs and the School's YouTube channel are available on our Experience LSE page.

Events and resources for teachers

• Our information for teachers and schools pages contain lots of information and resources designed to help you support your students.
• Events and resources for teachers.

Resources for parents

• Information for the parents and cares of prospective students

• Information for the parents and carers of offer holders 

• A guide for parents and carers by LSE's Widening Participation team

Visiting LSE

• Unfortunately our on campus events and activities are currently suspended as a result of COVID-19. You may be interested in arranging a virtual information session for a group of students aged 16+. 
• Students at non-selective, state funded London schools and colleges may also be eligible for schemes run by our Widening Participation team.

Who to contact

• Meet LSE's Student Marketing and Recruitment team
• Meet LSE's Widening Participation team
• Contact Undergraduate Admissions via their webform 

Sign up to LSE's teachers' mailing list. 

SOAS University of London: Where Everything Connects

Degree programmes

• Search programmes by subject

Admissions information

• Entry requirements 
• How to apply

Information for international students

• Guidance for international students

Academic resources

• Open Days

Student support

• Student advice and wellbeing

Virtual resources for students

• Undergraduate Virtual Open Day
• SOAS videos:
  Meet the World at SOAS 
  Who are we, we are SOAS

Resources for parents

• Accommodation information for parents

Visiting SOAS

• Campus tours

Who to contact

• Contact the Marketing and Student Recruitment team

Degree programmes

UCL has hundreds of undergraduate programmes. They include single subjects, combinations, vocational programmes, and interdisciplinary options.

A full list can be found here.

If you have students who are undecided or are looking to explore a new subject area, we have many interesting programmes apart from the conventional (and often oversubscribed) programmes. We have identified these as ‘do something different’ programmes. Together they represent some of our newest, most ground-breaking programmes, offering routes into highly rewarding careers.

Admissions information

UCL is a popular university. Given the competition for places, our entry requirements are challenging and in order to be considered students must have met or be predicted to meet the minimum requirements for the programme they are interested in.

We therefore recommend that students only apply to programmes for which they meet the requirements. 

Each of our programmes has specific requirements and those requirements are stated on the programme information pages of our website here.

You can find the requirements for students offering qualifications other than A levels and the IB within the above pages by selecting the relevant country from the International applications tab.

If the High School you work for does not offer a qualification recognized by UCL for direct entry, your students would be considered for the UCL International Foundation year.

UCL offers Pre-Sessional English courses for UG applicants with a UCL conditional offer.

More information about the application process, how we select our students and other frequently asked admissions questions can be found here

Information for international students

• Information by country on minimum entry requirements, English Language qualifications and how to contact your country representative can be found here.

• Fee status classification and fees and funding information

• Visa and Immigration advice

Information for UK students

• Contextual admissions
• Widening participation 
• Access and participation plan

Academic resources

• UCL provides academic support and resources for improving students study while on their degree programme.

Student support

• UCL offers a range of student support and wellbeing services to support students throughout their time at the University. 

Virtual resources for students

• Events and Open Days
• Chat with a student
• Podcasts
• UCL News
• Discover UCL

• UCL Study Prep is a free online course for students in their final year of high school who are preparing to study at any university.

• UCL Minds run events that cover a range of topics across talks, seminars, workshops, lectures, performances and exhibitions open to everyone. 

Resources for counsellors and teachers

• Our dedicated page for counsellors and teachers provides lots of information and resources, all in one place, to help you support your students.  

Visiting UCL

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, all UCL campus tours and international visits have been suspended for the foreseeable future. 

Students can register their interest to be notified of virtual events relevant to them.

• UCL Virtual Campus Map
• UCL Self-Guided Virtual Tour of Campus

Who to contact

• Find your dedicated country contact
• Contact UCL’s Widening Participation team
• Prospective UK students: study@ucl.ac.uk
• Prospective international students: international@ucl.ac.uk

Sign up to UCL’s teachers' mailing list