This varies, according to where in the UK you decide to study. London and other big cities are more expensive than other areas. The British Council publication Studying and Living in the United Kingdom 2007-08 gives a general guide to the cost of living in the UK, but you should ask the institution where you choose to study for more detailed local costs of living.
Many institutions also have a pre-arrival guide for international students, which contains information about the cost of living, travel and accommodation. This is usually sent to you, and is often also available on your institution's website.

We strongly advise against bringing large amounts of cash and recommend that you bring most of your money in Travellers' Cheques or use a Travellers' Cheque card. Keep your Travellers' Cheques in a different place from your passport. To avoid carrying large amounts of cash for your tuition fees, contact your institution before you leave home and ask if you can pay your fees in advance, by bank transfer. Alternatively, bring a cheque or bankers' draft payable to the institution.

In cash, you should carry enough money to pay for: transport from the airport to your final destination; one or two nights' stay in 'bed and breakfast' accommodation (in case you cannot immediately access your booked accommodation); food; telephone calls home; and any other expenses for the first week (bus fares, stationery, social events and so on). £200-250 should be enough in most parts of the UK, slightly more in London. We also recommend that you take out travel insurance before you leave home to cover you for your journey and the first week of your stay in the UK.

If you bring money worth 10,000 Euros or more (including money in other currencies) and you are coming to the UK from a country that is outside the European Union, you have to declare that sum to customs officers by filling in a form when you arrive.

You can find information about choosing and opening a bank account in these documents:
International students: opening a UK bank account - British Bankers Association
Basic bank accounts: your questions answered - Financial Services Authority (FSA)

Banking tips:
- If you want an account based on Sharia principles, check banks' websites and publicity materials. Some mainstream banks offer accounts and services that meet these principles and there are also a few specialist banks that operate in accordance with them.
- You might be able to prevent tax being deducted from your interest - ask your bank or building society for form R105 when you open your bank account.
- Once you have opened a bank account in the UK, always let your bank know in writing and as soon as possible if you change your address.
- If you are leaving the UK for a long break, for example the summer break, let your bank know - otherwise they might treat your account as 'dormant' and close it.

The National Union of Students (NUS) has information to help you challenge a bank if it will not open an account for you.
The Financial Services Authority publication Checking your identity: the fight against money laundering, financial crime and terrorism explains why banks ask you to prove your identity and what to do if you are having difficulty proving your identity.

The education departments of the UK Government, the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Assembly decide which categories of student must be charged the lower, 'home' fee. There are many different categories of 'home' fee payer, and the regulations can be quite complicated. All Indian students come under the overseas fees category.

It is possible to become a 'home' fee payer, even if you started your course as an 'overseas' fee payer. In all cases, you must meet any residence conditions at the start of your course. However, you might be able to change fee status if, for example, you become:

• an EU national or the family member of an EU national
• an EEA or Swiss migrant worker or the family member of such a person
• a refugee or person with Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave
• the child of a Swiss national
• the child of a Turkish worker in the UK

Living in the UK for three years does not, on its own, mean that you will become eligible for 'home' fees. As an Indian citizen it is highly unlikely. If you are resident in the UK for more than 3 years for non educational purpose (hsmp, work permit etc) then you will be qualified for home fees even if you are Indian citizen.

Overseas fees can range from £4,000 to £18,000 per year, depending on the institution, the level of course and the type of course. Some institutions give details of the fees they charge on their websites.

The education departments of the UK Government, the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Assembly decide which categories of student are eligible for loans and grants. There are many different categories of eligible students, and the regulations can be quite complicated. Your eligibility is depends on your situation.

You can check the scholarship page of this site. You can alternately contact your local British Council office about scholarships and other sources of funding for students from your country who want to study in the UK.

British Council offices in the UK do not have information or scholarship application forms. Please note also that the scholarships administered by The British Council are allocated more than one academic year in advance of the start of the course, so you should start finding out about them at least 18 months in advance.

Please note that UKCOSA does not sponsor students or give any type of scholarship or funding.

No, if you enter the UK as a student, immigration conditions mean that you cannot normally claim welfare benefits or tax credits.

You must need it. Check it: I am coming to the UK to start my studies. What do I need to do about immigration?

Yes, but if you are coming to study in the UK and you want to travel to Ireland first, you should obtain UK entry clearance as a student in your home country before going to Ireland.
The reasons for this are:

• you will probably not see any immigration officers when you enter the UK from Ireland, so you will not be able to apply for immigration permission to enter the UK as a student or, from 1 September, as a student visitor
• if you do not get immigration permission when you enter the UK, and you are not a visa national, you will in most cases automatically have permission to be in the UK for three months, but you will not be allowed to work and you will not be able to extend your stay in the UK as a student or student visitor.

If you want to study in the UK, you must meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules. These requirements apply to: the place where you want to study, your course, your ability to follow the course, your finances, and your intentions during and after your studies.

Yes, but only your spouse or civil partner and your children. Your children must be under the age of 18 when they first enter the UK.
A civil partner is a same sex partner with whom you have a legally recognised relationship, including relationships registered in countries other than the UK. You can find out more about civil partnerships from the UK Government's Women and Equality Unit.

Yes, but it is very important that you apply to enter the UK as a prospective student, and not as a visitor. You will be expected to provide evidence that you have made contact with institutions in the UK, for example letters inviting you for interviews in the UK. Prospective students can stay in the UK for up to six months to make arrangements for their studies. When you have enrolled at a college or university, you will need to extend your stay in the UK as a student. If you have not come to the UK with entry clearance in the immigration category of 'prospective student', you will not be able to do this in the UK and will have to return to your country to make this application.

If you are on a course that lasts more than six months, you should be given a passport sticker that allows you to work part-time during the term (up to 20 hours a week) and full-time during your holidays and on work placements. However, for immigration purposes, you must be able to show that you can afford to study and live in the UK without needing to work. You must be able to prove that you have other sources of funding apart from your part-time work.
The type of work you can do is restricted. For example, you must not be self-employed or work as a professional sportsperson or entertainer. Check more details in the page: Working with & after study

This depends on the amount of time you are given to study in the UK. If you are given permission to be in the UK for 12 months or more, then your spouse or civil partner or children arriving in the UK with you should be given permission to work full time.

This depends on whether you meet the requirements for any of the schemes that the UK Government operates.

At the moment, the schemes that are most significant for students who have finished their studies are:

• International Graduates Scheme for all those who have obtained a degree or postgraduate certificate or diploma on or after 1 May 2007, or a degree completed before this date from a list of qualifying courses
• Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme (for those who have studied and lived in Scotland)
• Work Permit scheme (for jobs where no one suitable can be recruited, and occupations where there is a shortage of qualified workers)
• Training and Work Experience Scheme (for work-based training for a professional or specialist qualification, or work experience)
• Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (for those with degrees and work experience and prior earnings at a certain level)
  the Innovators scheme (for entrepreneurs)
• Check more details in the page: Working with & after study

You don’t need to pay tax while you work part time. But as soon as you start to work full time you need to pay full tax. You can find information about how the tax system in the UK applies to international students on the website of the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group

You can find further information about tax matters on the website of HM Revenue & Customs.

You can check the equivalence of your country's qualifications with those in the UK by contacting the National Recognition Information Centre for the UK (UK NARIC). The international recruitment staff at the institution where you want to study may also be able to advise you.

UK immigration permission is granted only for study at colleges and universities which are listed on the Register of Education and Training Providers.
It is very important that you check whether the institution you want to attend is on the Register before you make your immigration application. If the institution is not on the Register, your application will be refused.

The following education and training providers are automatically included on the Register:

• those that receive public funding
• institutions that are accredited through the British Council, the British Accreditation Council, or the Association of British Language Schools
• institutions that have been inspected and approved by government inspection bodies.

All other institutions have to apply to be included on the Register. However, their inclusion provides no guarantee of the quality or standard of their courses.

The UK Government has an official list of institutions that can award recognised UK degrees.

Submit the form in the home page of this website. I will find a suitable course and university for you and I am happy to arrange your admission as well. I wont charge you anything for you.

You will need to arrange some form of accommodation before you arrive in the UK, even if it is only temporary; there are university accommodation as well private accommodations.

If your children are aged between 5 and 16, they can attend state primary and secondary schools in the UK, as long as they are here as your dependants. You will not have to pay for this. However, schools may sometimes refuse places to children if they consider their stay in the UK will be too short, or if the schools have no free places.

If you are on a course lasting six months or more you can get treatment from the National Health Service (NHS) from the beginning of your stay. You will not have to pay for hospital treatment, but you may have to pay for some dental treatment and a standard charge for medicines prescribed by a doctor, depending on your income. This also applies to your spouse or civil partner and children. Children under 16, or under 19 and in full-time education, do not normally have to pay for any treatment.

Indian licence holders are able to drive using your current licence for up to 12 months from the date of departure in the UK. Then you need to apply for a provisional licence and then take the test.