Student bank account

Has anyone opened one before enrolling in school? Is it possible?

I think you will need to be at least present in the UK in order to be able to open a student bank account (you will probably need to provide your passport and proof of address in order to open the account) although I'm not sure whether you will need to have registered for classes or not at that time (banks may differ on this).

Many universities have an on-campus bank or bank they are associated with which will cater for their students and will likely have arrangements/information for the international students - but they might require your UK university ID card and/or proof of registration/acceptance to the university too.

Here's a link from the British Bankers' Association regarding banking for international students which might be able to help:

http://www.bba.org.uk/pdf/40746.pdf

Has anyone opened one before enrolling in school? Is it possible?

I opened one before I was technically enrolled/registered (as I needed to have the account open in order to pay my tuition fees!)  but it was just a week or so before registration day, I was physically present in the UK and had moved into student accommodation and my university gave me a letter to use.  So if you're talking about a couple of weeks or less before you officially register on the course and pay your fees, then yes, probably.

Hey treacle,

I opened a student checking account with HSBC in the US.  They call themselves the "world local bank".

While they are in the US and the UK, they are separate.  With a debit card, I can access funds from the US account (with fees etc) - but I can't just go into a branch and withdraw money.  I'm pretty sure that any account at any bank can be accessed from here with a debit card (and fees).

The proof of address is the sticking point, as I think they want your name on a utility bill.  Students living in dorms must have some alternative, like a letter from the uni.

From what I gather, most people have pay flat deposits etc. with multiple ATM withdrawls.

Do I remember you saying that your parents are Brits?  If you have relatives in country who are willing, you could wire them money which they could then wire directly to the account of a landlord, if that is your concern.

Best,
Holly

I opened one before I was technically enrolled/registered (as I needed to have the account open in order to pay my tuition fees!)  but it was just a week or so before registration day, I was physically present in the UK and had moved into student accommodation and my university gave me a letter to use.  So if you're talking about a couple of weeks or less before you officially register on the course and pay your fees, then yes, probably.

This is the answer I was looking for- thanks!  I can actually open an account with HSBC but am still ambivalent about the annual fee and prefer to open one with another bank. I'm hoping a letter from my school before enrollment will do the trick.

Just to prevent frustration, remember that a "student account" is a specific type of current (checking) account with a free overdraft facility and no monthly fee, primarily aimed at UK students who get a government student loan.  It is unlikely a bank will allow you to open one, but you can ask.  However most banks will open a normal current account for you, if you have all the required documents.

For an overview of UK banking, and an idea of the sorts of documents banks need to see to open your account, here is the leaflet we produce for international students at my university.  The details of the accounts in the comparison table are very specific to the particular branches near the university, and may not be the same at yours:

http://www.welfare.qmul.ac.uk/leaflets

Just to prevent frustration, remember that a "student account" is a specific type of current (checking) account with a free overdraft facility and no monthly fee, primarily aimed at UK students who get a government student loan. 

Oh, good point.  Just for clarification, the account I opened was just your bog standard basic bank account (not geared towards students), and the letter my uni provided primarily served the purpose of providing proof of address (since I was in uni halls, although they'll issue a letter to students living in private housing as well.)