INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Fees and finances

As a student, you may not be personally responsible for paying your fees (it could be your parents, or a Government sponsor for example) but you will need to know how much needs to be paid, what it is for, and how and when it needs to be paid. You might also want to know how to supplement your income, either with a scholarship or by working part-time. The following information should answer these questions:

Tuition fees

A tuition fee is payable for every programme of study at the University of Bristol (with the exception of incoming Erasmus exchange students). The amount that is payable varies, depending on the programme. Please select the relevant information from the following:

Definition of an overseas student for fee purposes

If you are not sure whether you will be liable to pay tuition fees at the overseas rate, please consult our guidelines on fee status.

If you apply to Bristol, your fee status will be confirmed when an offer is made.

We may ask you to complete a fee status questionnaire so that we can determine your fee status correctly. This is a quite lengthy questionnaire that needs to be fully completed and returned to us. The information we require includes nationality, country of domicile, parental work permits, vacation details etc with accurate dates. This information will be held in accordance with the Data Protection Act and will be used to help us assess your correct status for fees and student support. This information will not be made available outside the University.

Once the information has been received, you will receive confirmation of your fee status for the University of Bristol, should you decide to accept our offer.

Cost of living

Living expenses - how much will they be?

The International Advice and Support team also have some tips on living in Bristol.

Part-time work

Tier 4 student visa holders who have a visa that is valid for six months or longer, are permitted to take part-time and vacation employment provided that it does not interfere with their studies at the University. Your visa will state the number of hours you can work during term time.  There is no limit during vacations, but postgraduate students should be aware that their programmes do not have long vacations so their limit is 20 hours all year round. The maximum number recommended by the University during term time is 15.  You can download our Employment - Working during your studies leaflet for further details.

It is possible to find part-time work in a variety of places in Bristol, but most UK students, for example, tend to work in cafes, bars, restaurants and shops (there are plenty of these in central Bristol). It is very unlikely that you would be able to find a part-time job that relates to your programme of study, and you are quite likely to earn just the legal minimum wage. Part-time work is unlikely to cover your living costs and you cannot support your student visa application by stating that you will work once you arrive in the UK.

International Students who are working in the UK must pay National Insurance contributions in the same way as a UK citizen. If you have an offer of employment or wish to apply for a National Insurance Number you should ring 0845 600 0643. You will be required to provide some information and a decision will then be made regarding an appointment for a National Insurance Number Interview.

You may need to pay some National Insurance contribution and/or income tax depending on how much you earn during the year.

Please click here for information on working after you finish your studies.

Careers Service - JobShop

The Careers Service helps students to find part-time, casual and temporary work in the Bristol area. There are a range of vacancies to fit both your timetable and free time. Vacancies can also be viewed on the Careers Service website.

Careers Service
5 Tyndall Avenue
Bristol BS8 1UD
Tel: +44 (0)117 928 8221
Email: careers-service@bristol.ac.uk.

 

Please see the Autumn events programme from the Careers Service below:

 

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS!

The Careers Service will be offering several workshops aimed at international students this Autumn. Popular titles include: Plan your next steps, job applications, interview skills, finding work in the UK and global careers day.

 

BRISTOL PLuS AWARDS - Stand out from the crowd! The Bristol PLuS Awards recognise and reward University of Bristol students who have gained significant professional and life skills through extra-curricular experiences.

 

CAREERS fairs 2012/13 - Every year our careers fairs get bigger and better. Find out when the fairs are happening, which employers will be coming and how to prepare for them.

 

EMPLOYER events - Several employer presentations will be taking place in the next 2 weeks, to find out which employers will be on campus follow this link.

http://www.bris.ac.uk/careers/goto/employerevent.asp

 

 

Scholarships

Search for scholarships offered by the University of Bristol and external organisations on the Student Funding Office's scholarships page.

Student Funding Office

Our Student Funding Office gives advice on scholarships, emergency short-term loans, the cost of living and on budgeting your finances.

Student Fees Office

Please contact our Student Fees Office if you have any queries about fee payments.