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Money advice for international and EU students

Information for international and EU students on sources of funding and other financial information.

International and EU students coming to the UK to study must have funding in place.

Bank accounts

Most international and EU students can only open a basic bank account while studying in the UK. This means there is no entitlement to an overdraft facility. It can take up to 4 weeks for an appointment to set up an account at your chosen UK bank if you wish to open a traditional bank account. We strongly recommend that you arrange a digital or international banking solution to cover you in the meantime. It is worth noting that the shops and eateries on campus are mostly cashless, and the majority of places in the UK prefer card payments.

We strongly urge that you only carry a small amount of cash with you for your first few days and recommend having a prepaid card which has enough funds for most of your expenses in the first few weeks (e.g. food and medicines).

You can find information about opening a UK bank account from the University as well as the UK Council for International Student Affairs.

If you are unsure how to choose a bank, take a look at the advice from Money Helper.

Living costs

As an International or EU student coming to the UK to study, you must have the necessary funding in place. You need to pay for both your tuition fees and living costs for the duration of your course. Living costs in Bath tend to be higher than in other parts of the country. As well as your tuition fees, you will need approximately £1,600 per month to cover your living costs.

You will also need to consider that currency values will fluctuate during your studies and that you should have additional funding to cover this.

If you fall into financial hardship when in the UK, it can be very difficult to get additional funding after you have started your studies, especially if you haven't planned your finances properly before starting your course. You should research funding and scholarship opportunities well before starting university.

Cost of living in the UK

For information about the costs of living in the UK, have a look at our sample budgets:

You can find more information about budgeting and living costs at:

You can find other useful information for international students at:

UKCISA has more information and advice about fees and money.

Funding

Funding for new and current EU undergraduate students

If you're an undergraduate student from or living in the EU you might be able to apply for a tuition fee loan from the UK government.

Visit the government website to find out about:

Postgraduate taught and doctoral students

If you're a master's student, you should check whether you can apply for any of our scholarships, bursaries or other funding.

If you're a doctoral student, you should check whether you can apply for any of our studentships and scholarships. Our postgraduate funding page offers alternative funding opportunities for both master's and doctoral students. This includes trusts and charities as well as independent funding bodies.

United States federal loans

If you are an American student, then funding and loans are available from the United States to study at Bath. The University is recognised by the United States Government for Federal Student Loans.

Our Registration (OPE Identification) Number is 0116 7900.

Loans for Canadian students

If you are a Canadian student, then funding and loans are available from the Canadian Government or a private loan from a Canadian bank.

Additional Funding

Read more about additional funding and financial assistance for international students.

Save the Student provides further information about scholarships and funding for international students.

Working in the UK

The number of hours you may be able to work in the UK could be restricted depending on the type of visa you have.

Our Student Immigration Service can provide you with advice and information on visas and immigration issues should you have any difficulties or questions.

The Students' Union provides information on employment rights, Income Tax and National Insurance. Take a look at the Students’ Union jobs page for more information about this as well as for current job vacancies.

You can also find out how to reclaim Income Tax that you have paid while working in the UK.

Migrant workers

If you are a migrant worker, then you may be entitled to the same student finance support package as a UK national. Find out more about the eligibility criteria, what funding you may be entitled to, and how to apply for funding, from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

If you are a migrant worker or a family member of one, you need to provide evidence of continued employment in the UK.

Find out more about your employment status.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs also provides information about migrant worker status.

Enquiries

If you have any questions, please contact us.


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