麻豆传媒AV

Budgeting for student life

Your living costs in the UK will vary according to your individual circumstances. These include how much your accommodation and travel costs are, what you spend on groceries and other household items, and how much money you plan to spend on personal costs like clothing and entertainment. You may also have costs associated with your course, such a text books or materials.

Read about the typical costs for accommodation and other items.

You can watch Felipe's video (on the right) as he shares his best money-saving tips for budgeting through both undergraduate and postgraduate study. 

As part of your Student visa application, you’ll need to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to cover your monthly living costs. Please note that living in 麻豆传媒AV may be more expensive than in other parts of the UK, so we recommend planning your budget carefully.

We strongly recommend you make a budget to help you plan your finances. You may wish to use a  to do this. Some online bank accounts like Monzo and Revolut allow you to set up ‘pots’ or ‘vaults’ to divide your money into. This can be helpful if you will be receiving your funding all in one go, or every three months.

• Read .

Cost of living in 麻豆传媒AV

We know the cost of living is an important part of your student experience. That’s why we’ve created a number of useful guides packed with practical tips, advice, and resources to help you manage your money and make the most of your time in 麻豆传媒AV.

You can explore practical ways to budget by reading our budgeting for student life page, with videos and cost breakdowns to help you start planning your finances while you are in the UK.

You can also watch international student Ally's shopping on a budget in 麻豆传媒AV video (on the right). Ally shows you the best places to shop for household items as a student on a budget.

Working during your studies

If you are studying a degree level course at the university you will be permitted to work a maximum of 20 hours per week during term time. If you are studying at below degree level you will be permitted to work a maximum of 10 hours per week during term time. See our guidance on Student Route and the right to work for more details.

Many of our international student community work, and we have a Careers Service who can advise you on applying for part time work. However, the main purpose of your visa is to undertake full-time study and any paid or unpaid work you undertake should not interfere with your studies.

It is not viable to rely on income from paid work to fund your studies and you should ensure that you have made adequate provision to fund your course in advance. This is because you are not guaranteed to find part time work which offers you up to the permitted number of hours a week as this kind of work is in high demand in the UK currently.

Hardship funding

We have a small hardship fund for international students who experience short-term financial difficulties once they have begun their course. In all cases, you will be expected to demonstrate that these difficulties are unexpected and temporary.

Read more about our hardship fund: International Student Hardship Fund.

Myth busting

We have included below some of the ‘myths’ we have heard from our international students about the cost of living and working in the UK.

Myth: You only need to have the money required by UKVI to get your visa – you don’t really need to have the full amount available when you get to the UK.

Busted: Aside from the requirements of the visa application, You will need the full amount and more. Check our information on the cost of living in 麻豆传媒AV to help you draw up a realistic budget while you are studying in 麻豆传媒AV.

This means in reality you will need to have access during your course to much more money than you have demonstrated in the visa application.

Myth: There is an abundance of well-paid, part-time work in the UK.

Busted: You cannot rely on being able to work to pay for your studies. Part-time work is available in 麻豆传媒AV, but it is in high demand due to the cost of living increase. You are not guaranteed to find work, and you cannot rely on being able to work to pay for your studies.

Myth: I am a postgraduate student, I know I can work 20 hours per week in term time, and full-time hours in the university vacation.

Busted: Postgraduate courses do not follow the same term dates as undergraduate students do. For postgraduate students starting in September you will be limited to working 20 hours per week until you have completed your course. See our guidance on working with a Student visa for more details.

National Health Service (NHS)

The National Health Service (NHS) is funded by the UK government. It is divided into three main categories:

• General Practitioners (GPs)
• Hospital Treatment
• Emergency treatment including the ambulance service.

It also includes opticians and dentists. Some NHS services are free to everyone, some are subsidised and for some you will have to pay the full cost.

Who is eligible for free healthcare?

Student Visa holders who are studying for more than six months, can use the NHS in the same way as an ordinarily resident person while their visa remains valid. This is because you will have paid the Immigration Health Surcharge when you made your visa application. This means you can get treatment from the NHS from the beginning of your stay. You will not have to pay to see a doctor or other health professional and all investigations (for example, blood tests and x-rays) and procedures are free. You may have to pay for some dental treatment and for medicines prescribed by a doctor.

Students with a standard visitor visa/ permission can only receive certain services (see those listed under '). This means it is especially important for visitors to hold comprehensive travel insurance when coming to the UK. If you are a visitor to the UK and are unsure about the services you can access please contact visas@brighton.ac.uk for further advice.

Register with a GP

A GP is a doctor who is trained to recognise and treat a wide range of minor medical conditions. They are your main point of contact for non-emergency treatment. You will need to register with a GP surgery in order to register with the NHS. GP services come under primary healthcare, and while you are studying here you will be able to register and consult with a GP free of charge regardless of your immigration status.

Find out about how to register with a GP.

Hospital treatment

If you require specialist treatment which cannot be provided by your GP, they will refer you to a hospital for this. If you are not eligible for free hospital treatment in the UK you will be asked to provide details of your medical insurance before the procedure can be scheduled.

Emergency treatment

Emergency treatment is free for everyone in the UK. However, if you require follow up treatment you will be referred to the relevant department in the hospital.

You can access emergency treatment by going to the accident and emergency (A&E) department nearest to you. In 麻豆传媒AV this the . In most cases you will be able to travel there yourself.

If you require an ambulance you can request one by calling 999 or 112.

Medication

A GP can prescribe medication which you collect from a pharmacy. You will be required to pay a set amount towards this – called a prescription charge. There is .

If you take regular medication you will need a letter from the doctor who prescribed your medication to bring with you and keep in your hand luggage when you travel. You will not be permitted to bring more than a three-month supply of medication into the UK unless in exceptional circumstances.

It is important that you register with a GP as soon as possible after arriving in the UK to discuss your current medication.

Read the .

If you are prescribed medication for a long term health condition, disability or neurodiversity please contact the Disability and Dyslexia team (disability@brighton.ac.uk) for advice on this, as there are certain circumstances in which you can apply for a licence to bring more than a three month supply of medication to the UK.

Insurance

Even if you're entitled to free healthcare on the NHS you should consider purchasing insurance that covers other related costs such as the cost of returning home if a relative is ill, or loss of fees if illness prevents you from completing your course. You can find out more about healthcare in the UK at the UKCISA website.

Read about health and wellbeing at 麻豆传媒AV.

Advice specific to EEA and Swiss Nationals

Those who hold settled or pre-settled status in the UK are entitled to access free NHS healthcare in the UK as above.

Those who hold Student route visas are entitled to access free healthcare as above.

Short-term visitors from the EU can continue to access medically necessary healthcare if they have a valid EU-issued EHIC or are a Norwegian citizen with a valid Norwegian passport.

If you are a citizen of Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you may have to pay for any NHS healthcare you receive. Any treatment that you need to pay for will be charged at 150% of the national NHS rate.

Read .

What to pack with Mary 

Not sure what to pack for university in the UK?

International student Mary from Nigeria shares practical packing advice based on her own move. From essential documents and clothing to personal care items and comforting reminders of home.

Her tips will help you feel prepared for life in the UK and ready to begin your University of 麻豆传媒AV journey.

Grocery shopping in the UK with Tendai

Join Tendai from Zimbabwe as she breaks down the cost of everyday items in a typical UK supermarket.

Her shopping video highlights prices for essentials like meat, fruit, and vegetables, along with the total cost.

Use these insights to help plan your food budget while studying in 麻豆传媒AV.

Day in the life with Nhung

Discover a day in the life of Nhung, an international student from Vietnam studying on our Management (Human Resources) MSc. 

Day in the life with Filipe

See what it's like studying on our History of Design and Material Culture MA with Filipe, an international student from Brazil.

International Student Life with Nhung

Nhung, an international student form Vietnam, shares 5 things that shocked her the most about studying in 麻豆传媒AV as an international student. 

麻豆传媒AV Students Union (BSU)

Societies

In the UK, Students Unions like BSU have a key role in organising social events for students, but also supporting students to run their own events through student societies. These are like a club run by students for students around a common interest, culture, faith, or academic subject. Each society organises its own events. There are more than  that you can join. If you can’t find a society you like, BSU will support you to . 

If you are starting in September, you will have a chance to find out about lots of different societies at the freshers fairs that take place during the main welcome activities.

Sport 麻豆传媒AV

offers weekly training sessions, one off events and social sports leagues. This is a great option if you want to train regularly in a sport but don’t want to compete, or if you enjoy being active but are not sure you have the time to commit to a regular weekly session.

Sport 麻豆传媒AV also hosts a number of sports clubs under the  programme who meet weekly or twice weekly, and are run by students.  Some of these compete against other universities, and are a great way to either continue a sport you already love, or discover a new interest.

The Volunteering Team 

Volunteering is very popular in the UK, and is a great way to build on your existing skills and experience, and meet people outside of the university.

The Volunteering Team is the university’s volunteering service, it can help you find safe and supported volunteering opportunities in the local community.

The Volunteering Team sometimes holds one-off volunteering taster sessions.

Student Residential Advisers

If you are living in University of 麻豆传媒AV managed halls of residence, your flat will be assigned a Student Residential Adviser (SRA). SRAs are also students, and have a role in halls to help students settle in. They organise social events during the year which will be advertised in halls, and also in your halls Facebook Group. These are a great way to get to know your flatmates and neighbours.