How to Study in the United Kingdom for Free (8 Steps)
“Long live the Queen and her Kingdom!” — a famous line of the people of the United Kingdom or The United Kingdom of Great Britain. It is one of the most powerful countries in the world in many aspects of fields such as economy, industrialization, wealth, influence, and accessibility. It is also one of the few countries where their government is a constitutional monarchy lead by their queen, Queen Elizabeth II.
Many aspire to set their feet on the historic lands of the Kings and Queens not only to sightsee monuments or galleries but to also fulfill their ambitions of studying here. The United Kingdom is also the home of very old universities and colleges that honed the minds of popular philosophers and scientists in our history books. However, getting in will never be easy especially if you wanted to study in the UK for free. So, follow these steps and tips to achieve your dreams little by little.
How to Study in the United Kingdom for Free
1. Amaze the admission staff by your application
“The first impression lasts.” So, give all your effort and put every achievement and attainment you can get to your portfolio or application form. Reading your background information about your studies and yourself is the first way the authorities can get to know you. Unless you are called for an interview, there is absolutely no way that they will know everything about you just from your application.
Therefore, only put the things that will highlight your good qualities and your skills. Also, prepare years before to have good grades and test scores. These will go a long way in helping you study for free in the UK.
2. Get done with your applications on time
Your stunning and accomplished application will be ruined if you fail to send or submit your application before or on time. This tardiness will reflect on you as an individual and will harm everything you included in your portfolio. Thus, make sure to have your requirement submissions done on time and never be late. If you want to be prioritized over other applicants, try to mail your requirements way early your deadline.
3. Research scholarships from the universities in the United Kingdom
Universities in the United Kingdom are all well-maintained and safe-kept for generations that’s why most of them need to charge fees and services for their use, especially to international students. Some domestic or local students in the country could get partially to fully paid scholarships depending on the university. Also, there are universities who offer scholarships for international students like these two: University of Oxford and University College London.
Getting scholarships should be your number one priority if you want to study in the United Kingdom for free. So, definitely research your scholarship options ahead of time and apply.
4. Research universities with affordable fees
Your other option is to study at affordable universities in the UK. You should always apply for scholarships, but as a backup, applying to affordable universities is smart. On average, the universities in the United Kingdom varies between 13000 USD up to 14500 USD, but here’s the list of 9 affordable universities in the United Kingdom, so check it out if you are interested!
5. Apply to several universities in the UK
Applying to several universities and getting accepted means having many choices to choose from and you will get to pick the university that you will like. To get this opportunity, research and investigate universities around the vicinity of the area you wanted to settle in. If you want to study inside a city where all the amenities can be found, you can enroll at the University of London. Or if you want to settle in a research public university, go to the University of Manchester.
6. Seek for another scholarship offered by your government
If it might seem that having university scholarships will not be enough for your tuition fees and living expenses, there are other ways to get help or assistance from. One of those is from your government or the United Kingdom’s monarchy. Yet, you will more likely to find scholarship programs from your government since the United Kingdom mostly have programs only available for their citizens. Hence, search on your government websites and look for financial assistance programs for students studying abroad. With this, getting by every day in a foreign country will be easier.
7. Lookup for scholarship offerings by the private sector
Less will never be enough that’s why there are still scholarship programs and financial assistance offerings out there provided by the private sector. To easily find some of these scholarships, first, get a list of the companies or organizations in line with your degree. Then from them, research about those who offer programs to aid students in their academics. Also, submit them your requirements and application form then hope for the best. Additional semesterly or even monthly allowance will be a great help for the remaining of your expenses.
8. Acquire jobs as you study if it is permitted
In the United Kingdom, working is very much allowed by the monarchy not just for their citizens but also for the international students in their country. They permit at most 20 hours of work per week during academic terms and full-time works after each term, and working part-time will definitely help you to study in the UK for free. Domestic or local students are eligible for this rule without any restrictions. On the other hand, international students must have a tier 4 visa, also called a student visa. Also, you must be at least 16 years old to get a job. The most important rule is that all the jobs you would take must be authorized.
I hope that this article was helpful. If you are interested, visit the UK Scholarships Page.