Can americans apply right to a UK uni?

Instead of doing a semester at UNI, through a university here, can you just apply to one of there's instead? I currently have taken a few classes at a community college here, would any of those classes transfer over, or would they mean nothing.

The little bit of reading ive done on the subject, i like there 3 year BA program better then the 4 yea american one. So i want to consider all angles. Would it more costly if possible to do? Do you need SAT scores or are there ways around that? What would an average price per year cost roughly? Would it be way more expensive then school here?

Would it more costly if possible to do?  What would an average price per year cost roughly? Would it be way more expensive then school here?

It depends what tuition you would have been paying in the US as to whether UK university fees for international students are higher or lower. UK and EU students pay just over £3,000 per year for UK tuition (it was only £1,000 a year when I attended uni), but international students have to pay about £10,000 per year (UK/EU fees are subsidised by the government, international fees are not). So if you were originally planning on attending an out-of-state/expensive college in the US, then UK fees could be cheaper, but if you were going to a community/in-state college with lower fees, the UK could be very expensive in comparison.

For a student visa, you have to show that you have an entire year of course fees (about £10,000) plus 9 months of living costs (£5,400 outside London, £7,200 inside London) available to you before you can get the visa - this would likely mean taking out a student loan unless you have rich parents or lots and lots of savings! You can only work up to 20 hours a week on a student visa (and full-time during vacations), but you need to show you have all the money to support yourself without working before the visa will be granted.

Instead of doing a semester at UNI, through a university here, can you just apply to one of there's instead? I currently have taken a few classes at a community college here, would any of those classes transfer over, or would they mean nothing.

I don't know how/if community college classes would transfer to the UK - you would have to check with the international admissions offices for the UK unis you are interested in. It would probably depend on whether or not they are considered equivalent to the UK admissions requirements.

Do you need SAT scores or are there ways around that?

The UK system doesn't have SATs or anything like that, so I'm not sure whether they would consider SAT scores for US students - again, something to ask the admissions office.

The little bit of reading ive done on the subject, i like there 3 year BA program better then the 4 yea american one. So i want to consider all angles.

With UK BA/BSc programmes, you need to apply to study one particular subject/course at each university you apply to, so you have to decide your major before you apply... and it's difficult to change majors without having to restart the entire degree all over again - unless you change your mind within the first week or two of the first year of study.

I think the best thing for you to do would be to decide exactly what it is you want to study, then look at the websites of UK universities you're interested in and find out what kind of programs they have for that subject.  You can also find out from the websites what the admissions requirements are and what the tuition is. 

wow thanks for the reply, thats very expensive sounding, specially if you wanted to do all 3 years there. Def do not have rich parents, and student loans for a year, not to mention 3, ouch!!!! maybe ill re - think that.

wow thanks for the reply, thats very expensive sounding, specially if you wanted to do all 3 years there. Def do not have rich parents, and student loans for a year, not to mention 3, ouch!!!! maybe ill re - think that.

Yeah - it's not cheap . My youngest brother will be starting uni in September and even paying the lower UK tuition fees, he'll have student loan debts of about £20,000 at the end of the degree. Actually, come to think of it, my own student loan debt must be about £15,000 by now and my parents paid all my tuition fees for me (they were much more affordable back then) - my loans were just for living costs!

One thing to consider (which I mentioned on your other thread) is the idea of enrolling at a US university that offers study abroad exchange schemes - if you have good enough grades, you can study abroad for either a semester or a year and I think you'll only have to pay your normal tuition to your US university while you're there. Of course, you'd need living costs, but it's cheaper than paying the UK international fees.

yea 3 years id pretty much be in $50,000 plus debt ouch!! Would u have to do a foundation year too?

correction that would be at least $80,000 in loans lol....Um how does anyone internationally do this/afford this lol! seriously!!!

Hiya syntax! Having gone through the process of applying myself (but didn't go in the end) here is what you have to consider:

-The fees are staggering. Unless you're going to a Uni in the USA where you are already paying high tuition fees, you WILL be paying more in tuition to attend uni in the UK.  When I applied to Sussex Uni, the international student fees were a little more than £12,000 per year.

-The visa is limited.  Student visas only allow holders to work approx 20 hours per week, which is half that of a full time job.  would you be able to support yourself on part time wages? And as someone else mentioned, you have to prove you have substantial savings behind you.

-Cost of living.

-Lack of support system.  You would be moving away form your entire family/friend support system.

-SAT/ACT scores and existing credits dont count.  Sussex UNI refused to take into account I already had credits from 2 years of uni in the states, and were completely uninterested in my ACT score.

-Alot of 3 year programs are actually 4.  I will be attending open uni in the fall as example, and while my biology degree will be 3 years, I will need a 4th year for the teaching certification... 4 years of uni to become a teacher, you dig?  Alot of the degrees work in this fashion.

-US loans.  Because you would not have an established credit history in the UK, you will need to apply for US loans.  Having looked into this myself, it is hard to find a loan company willing to fund overseas education, especially for the amounts you would need for tuition.  Meaning you'd need multiple loans from multiple companies.


I'm not trying to discourage you, but instead I am telling you all the things that shocked me when I started reading about it 2.5 years ago.  In my humble experience, it will be easier for you to develop a sense of what is realistically achievable early on in your research.  And if you're looking for the study abroad experience, I would think that the exchange program through your existing school is the more viable option.

-Alot of 3 year programs are actually 4.  I will be attending open uni in the fall as example, and while my biology degree will be 3 years, I will need a 4th year for the teaching certification... 4 years of uni to become a teacher, you dig?  Alot of the degrees work in this fashion.

Just to clarify this: UK bachelors degrees are generally 3 years. Many, many UK students leave university with just a 3-year degree and go right into full-time employment without doing any more university studying at all.

If you want to become a teacher, you do have to do an extra year of training for a postgraduate certificate (PGCE), but this is not part of your undergraduate degree, it is an additional qualification that you can apply to do afterwards if you wish (like you would do for a masters degree) - it is a requirement in order to go into teaching, but not for anything else and you can do it at any point in your life if you have a degree and wish to go into teaching (and the good news for UK/EU students is that the government will pay them up to £9,000 to get the qualification!).

However, there are some instances where undergraduate degrees are more than 3 years:

- if you are studying for a languages degree which usually involves a study abroad year in the country whose language you are studying (4 years in total).
- if your degree is not languages but involves an extra year studying abroad or working in industry (4 years in total).
- if you are doing an MSci (Master in Science) degree which is a 4-year course essentially giving you a bachelors and masters degree all in one.
- if you are studying a subject such as medicine (5 years - equivalent to a US MD) or pharmacy (4 years - MPharm degree (Master of Pharmacy)).

-US loans.  Because you would not have an established credit history in the UK, you will need to apply for US loans.  Having looked into this myself, it is hard to find a loan company willing to fund overseas education, especially for the amounts you would need for tuition.  Meaning you'd need multiple loans from multiple companies.

Sallie Mae definitely deals with overseas loans, which is who I am using for both loans, as does American Student Assistance.  Just ask your school's registry which loan companies they typically deal with from American students.  Sallie Mae was super easy.  They have loads of overseas schools listed in the drop down menu on the application.

No disrespect to Navie, but things have changed in the last 2.5 years, including the student visa requirements.  You will now have to apply for a Tier 4 PBS student visa, which is a very detailed and stringent process.  The guidance is here http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/Tier4migrantguidance.pdf

I would strongly recommend that you read it BEFORE you apply to a uni, just so you know exactly what will be required both of you and the school in order for you to get your visa. 

Nevermind, ignore my post.

My DB is here doing his 3 year MEng degree, he's just finished his second year and is doing really well (I'm so proud of him).

If you're determined to do it, it is possible and although things have changed since he applied, I'll throw my oar in

A 3 year degree in the UK is equivalent to a 4 year US degree. DB has looked at applying for masters in the US and has had no issues with degree equivalency, yes there can be an issue with 3 years degrees from other countries but not from a UK institution.

US Loans - My DB was originally going through IEFC and TERI, he's now with Sallie Mae, yes international fees are high but it's an investment in yourself and your future, my DB had terrible credit due to some issues with a credit card when he was 18, neither of his parents earned much, but his dad was able to act as a co-sponsor and he got his loans with no trouble, he's borrowed enough to cover fees and a large part of his living expensed.

Working - 20 hours a week is all you'll be able to work when doing a degree as a UK degree requires a lot of outside study and lecture time, this time requirement lifts during school holidays, so you can work during your summers and squirrel that money away. I supported myself on less than this when at uni, ahh those were the beans on toast days!

Support system - Personal preference. My DB loves the UK and has done fine, he doesn't know any americans in the UK at all but instead made friends with people at uni and work, they're a mix of every nationality. He just embraced a new life head on, and didn't look back, are you the sort of person who's open to that? Or will you break down because there's no good mexican food here?

Standardised testing - yes they don't count why would they? They're measured against a whole different set of criteria. This can work in your favour if you don't have great test scores, UK unis seem more open to mature students and students with other skills than just those with high test scores. Coming to the UK to study would mean a clean slate and because you specialise and just do the courses that are related to what you want, you don't spend time doing history of your state or whatever. This works if you know what you want to do, but doesn't if you're unsure about where you want to specialise. You'll have to think about how sure you are

All in all, my DB is due to graduate next year, he's near the top of his class (if not the top) and has a great job and friend set, I'm so incredibly proud of him, it can work, yes we'll have a lot of debt when he grads, but also he would have had an amazing 3year experience that he'd never have gotten, in the US he was fighting his GPA and taking classes and never getting anywhere, next summer he'll walk in his gown and I'm sure I'll be bawling my eyes out

  Thanks for all the replies. I decided to not go with it, it would be impossible, and way out of my means to drop $ at least 60,000 in loans. THat it stepping in wayyyyyy to deep of debt to get out of.
  Yes i would prefer the UK 3 yea system, i tend to agree with the 3 years are actually major related, instead of extra BS. Unfortunately i wont get to experience that! Good Luck to those of you who can afford or do it anyways!

Just one small correction, English and Welsh degrees tend to be 3 years. Scottish ones are 4.