UK University, US Student
November 16, 2021 9:00 AM Subscribe
My oldest child just got accepted into the University of Exeter. It's their top choice and we are all excited. However, we live in the US and have questions.
We are just getting started with this process. We've done some research and will be visiting the University early next year to get more answers. We have looked at the University website and it's helpful but there are many questions about things like financial aid, Visa, etc. When we search a lot of the results are either contradictory or trying to sell us something.
My question today is - If you have experience with this was there a group, website, government program, or other resource that was very useful? I'm hoping there is a reliable resource we can use as a central starting point for this.
If any of this matters: She will be 19 years old, will graduate (US) high school next spring, and has roughly 4 semesters of credits from community college and the University of Minnesota completed. She has an "unconditional offer" to study at University of Exeter Streatham Campus starting Fall 2022. The Programme is: BA English and Creative Writing
We are just getting started with this process. We've done some research and will be visiting the University early next year to get more answers. We have looked at the University website and it's helpful but there are many questions about things like financial aid, Visa, etc. When we search a lot of the results are either contradictory or trying to sell us something.
My question today is - If you have experience with this was there a group, website, government program, or other resource that was very useful? I'm hoping there is a reliable resource we can use as a central starting point for this.
If any of this matters: She will be 19 years old, will graduate (US) high school next spring, and has roughly 4 semesters of credits from community college and the University of Minnesota completed. She has an "unconditional offer" to study at University of Exeter Streatham Campus starting Fall 2022. The Programme is: BA English and Creative Writing
No specific advice but you may be able to find some contacts or leads on the Student Room forums. They seem to be quite widely used in the UK (I know I've searched in them before when I was trying to help my daughter with finding accommodation).
posted by crocomancer at 10:43 AM on November 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by crocomancer at 10:43 AM on November 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
IANA(immigration)L, but I've been through the student visa process going from the US to the UK and now work in a UK university, so I've got a decent handle on the whole thing. I'd start here, and maybe check out r/UKvisa on Reddit. (I know, Reddit, but there's some actual good advice there.) In a pinch, I can try to answer any questions that might come up.
Also, I hope she really enjoys Exeter. Mrs. Example and I lived there while I was doing my MFA, and we loved the place. It's a beautiful, friendly part of the country. :)
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 11:23 AM on November 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
Also, I hope she really enjoys Exeter. Mrs. Example and I lived there while I was doing my MFA, and we loved the place. It's a beautiful, friendly part of the country. :)
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 11:23 AM on November 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
Haven't been a student for long while but my instinct is that any financial aid here would be for UK citizens. I am presuming there is an association of US students in the UK, that could help.
One practical detail to sort out when you visit is a bank account. We (well, the better off) have increasingly become a cashless society, especially post covid. Life without a card accepted in UK retail outlets and ATMs would be miserable.
posted by epo at 12:33 PM on November 16, 2021
One practical detail to sort out when you visit is a bank account. We (well, the better off) have increasingly become a cashless society, especially post covid. Life without a card accepted in UK retail outlets and ATMs would be miserable.
posted by epo at 12:33 PM on November 16, 2021
Missed the edit window. I obviously haven't opened a bank account in many years as well. Needs to be done when she is here.
posted by epo at 12:41 PM on November 16, 2021
posted by epo at 12:41 PM on November 16, 2021
I'm sure you're aware -- but just in case -- it's almost certainly a three-year rather than a four-year degree. In certain cases this can cause problems when back in the US and there's something that requires a four-year degree.
posted by cgs06 at 12:43 PM on November 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by cgs06 at 12:43 PM on November 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
Re: bank accounts, there's a branch of NatWest (a big UK bank) on the Exeter campus that's used to dealing with students and international students, so they should be able to get her sorted out.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 1:13 PM on November 16, 2021
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 1:13 PM on November 16, 2021
US citizens fill out a FAFSA just as if they were applying for financial aid in the US. The quickest way to get answers is to schedule a zoom with the international students office.
posted by betweenthebars at 2:15 PM on November 16, 2021
posted by betweenthebars at 2:15 PM on November 16, 2021
My son did this, but I don't know of groups etc. as he pretty much worked most practical things out for himself. He thoroughly enjoyed his time at KCL and he's still living in London.
The amusing part is that an unconditional offer means that the place is yours and grades etc. (short of some serious scandal or crime) for senior year of high school are totally irrelevant — it really messed with my son's HS teachers' heads that he really didn't care about grades and that they essentially had none of the ususal leverage over him; I'm not sure that he even technically needed to graduate.
He's a UK citizen even though he grew up in the US so he didn't need to worry about visas himself, but his girlfriend, who he met there, is a US citizen so had a student visa. She transfered between UK universties before she graduated. I don't know all the details, but I do know that the process of changing/renewing the visa was slow and ended up delaying her start on the new course. Americans are generally fairly privileged when it comes to immigration issues, but bureaucracy grinds slow whoever you are so make sure you don't delay.
As betweenthebars notes you fill out a FAFSA and you can get US student loans to help cover the cost — there are UK student loans, but I don't know how the eligibility for those works and they may not be available to foreign students. It is very much going to depend on which US universities you are comparing it to and what financial aid might be on offer here as to whether the £20,000 in annual tuition seems like it's reasonable. The three years helps with this.
As to cgs06's point, it may only take three years, but it's a BA. There may be somewhere in the US that thinks this is a problem because they focus on time not degree awarded (and why would this be different from graduating early from a US institution?), but this seems to be unlikely to be an obstacle under most circumstances. Grad schools and the like will be used to degrees from reputable foreign universities and for employment, after you have held at least one job, experience is usually far more important than the liberal arts degree itself as long as you can check off the 'has a BA' box.
Bank accounts can be cumbersome to set up because the anti money-laundering regulations are insanely strict so it can take a while to get things sorted out. But as long as you're aware and have access to a US credit/debit card to tide you over things will be fine.
If this is your kid's dream, and the details work out, I would wholeheartedly encourage them to go for it!
posted by Quinbus Flestrin at 4:31 PM on November 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
The amusing part is that an unconditional offer means that the place is yours and grades etc. (short of some serious scandal or crime) for senior year of high school are totally irrelevant — it really messed with my son's HS teachers' heads that he really didn't care about grades and that they essentially had none of the ususal leverage over him; I'm not sure that he even technically needed to graduate.
He's a UK citizen even though he grew up in the US so he didn't need to worry about visas himself, but his girlfriend, who he met there, is a US citizen so had a student visa. She transfered between UK universties before she graduated. I don't know all the details, but I do know that the process of changing/renewing the visa was slow and ended up delaying her start on the new course. Americans are generally fairly privileged when it comes to immigration issues, but bureaucracy grinds slow whoever you are so make sure you don't delay.
As betweenthebars notes you fill out a FAFSA and you can get US student loans to help cover the cost — there are UK student loans, but I don't know how the eligibility for those works and they may not be available to foreign students. It is very much going to depend on which US universities you are comparing it to and what financial aid might be on offer here as to whether the £20,000 in annual tuition seems like it's reasonable. The three years helps with this.
As to cgs06's point, it may only take three years, but it's a BA. There may be somewhere in the US that thinks this is a problem because they focus on time not degree awarded (and why would this be different from graduating early from a US institution?), but this seems to be unlikely to be an obstacle under most circumstances. Grad schools and the like will be used to degrees from reputable foreign universities and for employment, after you have held at least one job, experience is usually far more important than the liberal arts degree itself as long as you can check off the 'has a BA' box.
Bank accounts can be cumbersome to set up because the anti money-laundering regulations are insanely strict so it can take a while to get things sorted out. But as long as you're aware and have access to a US credit/debit card to tide you over things will be fine.
If this is your kid's dream, and the details work out, I would wholeheartedly encourage them to go for it!
posted by Quinbus Flestrin at 4:31 PM on November 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
For financial aid you can get US student loans but not UK loans, and you should assume that grants and scholarships are not going to happen. The budget given by the university for international students should be pretty accurate.
As mentioned above, student rooms forums are generally the best bet for assorted information online. This includes getting a sense of eg halls of residence, tips for international students, etc I would start searching on there for things that you need, but remember that visa information specifically may have changed since people originally posted.
Government related information is generally clear and accurate on the official website gov.uk. Information about student visas, although the university will probably give you instructions.
As well as the University's information for international students, Exeter's Guild of Students will have accurate local information.
If you have a student visa, you access healthcare on the same terms as British residents (ie most things are free at the point of use) as costs are included in the visa fee. I have been told that the most comparable US system is an HMO like Kaiser Permanente, except that almost every hospital and medical office is 'in network' in the NHS. Other things to think about are housing (I'm pretty sure Exeter will have an accommodation guarantee for first years, so sometime in the spring you will be offered a choice of places to live in a university halls of residence with different prices and amenities), banking (there will be a bank branch on campus or nearby used to dealing with international students and this can be sorted out in the first week) and a mobile phone (not sure on this one). Weather is most similar to the Pacific North West.
posted by plonkee at 5:10 PM on November 16, 2021
As mentioned above, student rooms forums are generally the best bet for assorted information online. This includes getting a sense of eg halls of residence, tips for international students, etc I would start searching on there for things that you need, but remember that visa information specifically may have changed since people originally posted.
Government related information is generally clear and accurate on the official website gov.uk. Information about student visas, although the university will probably give you instructions.
As well as the University's information for international students, Exeter's Guild of Students will have accurate local information.
If you have a student visa, you access healthcare on the same terms as British residents (ie most things are free at the point of use) as costs are included in the visa fee. I have been told that the most comparable US system is an HMO like Kaiser Permanente, except that almost every hospital and medical office is 'in network' in the NHS. Other things to think about are housing (I'm pretty sure Exeter will have an accommodation guarantee for first years, so sometime in the spring you will be offered a choice of places to live in a university halls of residence with different prices and amenities), banking (there will be a bank branch on campus or nearby used to dealing with international students and this can be sorted out in the first week) and a mobile phone (not sure on this one). Weather is most similar to the Pacific North West.
posted by plonkee at 5:10 PM on November 16, 2021
For bank accounts, most of the international students in the UK I know these days don't use bank accounts from traditional banks anymore.
Instead, they use Revolut, Monzo or Starling. Easier to open as an international student, and much cheaper to transfer money over.
I asked my cousin studying here to open a traditional bank account and he laughed at me!
posted by moiraine at 11:16 PM on November 16, 2021 [3 favorites]
Instead, they use Revolut, Monzo or Starling. Easier to open as an international student, and much cheaper to transfer money over.
I asked my cousin studying here to open a traditional bank account and he laughed at me!
posted by moiraine at 11:16 PM on November 16, 2021 [3 favorites]
My wife is American and the UK Yankee website and forums were amazingly helpful in helping her to settle here. She came as an adult so most of our interaction there was around the immigration process, but the Student Lounge on the forums will be very useful I think.
posted by Happy Dave at 4:21 AM on November 17, 2021
posted by Happy Dave at 4:21 AM on November 17, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
(Also: SAVAGE RED OWL was one of my dad's favorite things to say whenever we were in the area -- or near a Red Owl in any other town, for that matter.)
posted by wenestvedt at 10:36 AM on November 16, 2021 [2 favorites]