Student visa- money section.

Another topic! Here's my back story: my English BF and I have been together for 3 1/2 years via long distance. We've both had four visits each to each other's home countries. He's in the British Army and will be going to Afghanistan soon for a March-September tour of duty. Over the past several months we've decided that now is the time for me to make the move. As we're not ready to get engaged just yet, if all goes to plan I'll be accepted into a UK postgraduate program this fall and move there sometime around September when he's back from his tour. Even if I planned on staying in the states I'd still be going for postgrad study, so applying for a UK postgrad program/student visa isn't just any old excuse to be closer to my boyfriend (graduated in August 2011).

In the money section of documents required under student visa, of course I plan on giving my bank statements from both my checking and savings accounts. My parents as well will help pay for the cost and I'll include statements from their account, my birth cert. for proof I'm related to them, and a note from them stating that I have permission to use their money. My boyfriend too is more than willing to help with costs of tuition, living expenses, and transportation.

My question is: should I include his bank statements and a note from him stating our current situation and how he plans to help support me by covering some tuition costs, living and travel expenses? I'll also be living with him in his house during my studies, so should I also include his mortgage statements for proof of accomodation?

Also, I realize I'm a "low risk" applicant and I'm just clarifying- in the money section and the acceptance of studies section, I don't need to provide all documents but I must make note on the application that I meet the requirements and I hold the necessary documents, right? Which also brings me to the other question... should I just go ahead and include the BF's documents in the application, despite being low risk?   

In the money section of documents required under student visa, of course I plan on giving my bank statements from both my checking and savings accounts. My parents as well will help pay for the cost and I'll include statements from their account, my birth cert. for proof I'm related to them, and a note from them stating that I have permission to use their money. My boyfriend too is more than willing to help with costs of tuition, living expenses, and transportation.

For a student visa, you need to be able to show that you have a very specific amount of money available to you:

You need to have access to the first year of your tuition fees (approximately £12,000, depending on the course  - your Certificate of Sponsorship from the university will detail what tuition fee you will need) PLUS a minimum of £7,200 if you will be living in London or £5,400 if you will be living outside London.

If this money will be coming from your own funds, all of it will need to have been in your bank account for a minimum of 28 days before you apply. If it is in your parents' account, as you have said, you will need to prove you are related to them and have their permission to use the money.

If you will be using loans, you need an official letter from the loan company stating the amount and date it will be disbursed to you (and you have to make sure that the UK school is approved to receive US loans).

My question is: should I include his bank statements and a note from him stating our current situation and how he plans to help support me by covering some tuition costs, living and travel expenses? I'll also be living with him in his house during my studies, so should I also include his mortgage statements for proof of accomodation?

I don't think you will be able to use any of your boyfriend's money to meet the visa requirements because he is not your parent or legal guardian, so I doubt there's much point in including his bank statements.

Even if you will be living with him and not paying much in living costs, you still need to show you have the required minimum living expenses of either £7,200 or £5,400 in order to get the visa.

The Tier visas are very specific - if you don't include meet the requirements exactly and/or don't provide the exact documents required, it will be refused.

Also, I realize I'm a "low risk" applicant and I'm just clarifying- in the money section and the acceptance of studies section, I don't need to provide all documents but I must make note on the application that I meet the requirements and I hold the necessary documents, right? Which also brings me to the other question... should I just go ahead and include the BF's documents in the application, despite being low risk?   

You need to be able to prove that you meet the requirements if asked for the documents, but you do not have to actually include the documents in your application.

You must have access to the full amount of money required for the visa (or have an approved loan) before you apply though in case they do ask you to show evidence of it.

Okay, I understand now. Thank you. So even if he does plan to help support me with tuition, etc. including that information is pointless as the money required in the application either needs to come from me and/or my parents. And it has to be the specific amount of money, as you stated. This may seem like a daft question, but say if my course is roughly 12,000 pounds and I receive a loan stating that they'll cover 8,000 pounds of it... do I still need to provide that I have the required initial cost of the course, despite the loan covering 8,000 of it? Or do I just need to provide what the loan doesn't cover?

I don't believe this was mentioned on UKBA's website, but do I need to provide proof of accommodation since I won't be living on campus? I.e. one of the courses I'm looking at now is in London but attendance there is only two days per week (it is a full time course too). So if I got accepted on that one, I'd commute there by train. In my application, I wouldn't want them to assume "she's studying in London, so that must mean she's living in London as well" and find that I'm 1,800 pounds short of living expenses funds...

Okay, I understand now. Thank you. So even if he does plan to help support me with tuition, etc. including that information is pointless as the money required in the application either needs to come from me and/or my parents.

Essentially, yes - I would guess that even if you did send his documentation, they would probably just ignore it because it doesn't meet the requirements.

The documents that you need to include in the application are here:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/studying/adult-students/evidence/

And it has to be the specific amount of money, as you stated. This may seem like a daft question, but say if my course is roughly 12,000 pounds and I receive a loan stating that they'll cover 8,000 pounds of it... do I still need to provide that I have the required initial cost of the course, despite the loan covering 8,000 of it? Or do I just need to provide what the loan doesn't cover?

No, I believe you would just need to show that you meet the minimum requirement one way or another, so if the loan covers £8,000, then you will be responsible for finding the remainder yourself.

I don't believe this was mentioned on UKBA's website, but do I need to provide proof of accommodation since I won't be living on campus? I.e. one of the courses I'm looking at now is in London but attendance there is only two days per week (it is a full time course too). So if I got accepted on that one, I'd commute there by train. In my application, I wouldn't want them to assume "she's studying in London, so that must mean she's living in London as well" and find that I'm 1,800 pounds short of living expenses funds...

On the UKBA website, it states that they calculate your living costs based on where you will be spending more than half of your 'study time' - so if your course will be taught entirely in 'Inner London', then I would assume you'll need the higher amount of £7,200. It seems to be based on where your university is located, not where you will actually be living.

On the application form, I think you need to include the address you will be living at in the UK. I believe that people who have not yet secured accommodation before getting the visa have just given the address of the university in the past.

No, I believe you would just need to show that you meet the minimum requirement one way or another, so if the loan covers £8,000, then you will be responsible for finding the remainder yourself.

Well that's a relief to hear. You've clarified a lot, thanks.

I would heartily recommend that you don't fill out your visa application until you get your CAS from the university.  I tried that once and it resulted in a rejected visa application... I had no idea what I was doing and what I needed.

When I applied for my visa in 2010 they required that you had proof of funding your tuition plus the maintenance cost.  For me, as I am going to school and living outside of London, it was a total of £9800 on top of my tuition. 

And I agree with ksand... if you get a loan for $8000 you need to have proof of funds and then you will need to prove that either you and or your parents have the rest of the money in your bank accounts for at least 28 days before your visa application.

Oh yeah, I have no intention of doing anything visa-wise until I'm accepted. And I'll be using funds from my parents' account and my account. Got it sorted 

I found that the whole student visa process was more of a pain in the butt than I was ready for.  But I eventually figured it out and if ever I need to do it again know what I'm doing.  I even wrote a step by step blog post about how, exactly, to apply for a student visa. 

As I have mentioned before, I wish I had known about this place when I was going for it originally or else I would never have had any issues! 

Right? Thank goodness for this website, I've learned SO much from it. I've done a ton of research of my own as well- even made out Word documents of everything I should keep in mind with the student visa and other moving details! I'll be asking a couple people I know for recommendation letters today and I'll probably get started on the application next week. So nervous. I know that unis give special consideration to international students, but I did mediocre in my undergrad (it was my toughest semester where I made the mistake of coming home to work every weekend. Subsequently, I got two D+s, a D, a B and an A) so I'm not getting my hopes up just yet. I have gained a bit of work experience since graduating last year, though, and I as I'm a pretty good writer I plan on coming up with a rockin' personal statement. Here goes nothing... !

I really had to cut down on my last semester when it came to working... I had 21 units the spring semester of my senior year.  21 units.  That's a bit insane.  And I had 20 units the fall semester too! I was earning just enough money to keep me in gas, food and Diet Coke.