International Student Support

International Students

It is essential that you have the correct status to come to the UK.  You are required to apply for entry clearance (a visa) to come to the UK as a student and your application will be assessed using the Points Based System.

You will need to apply as a Tier 4 (General) Student, and gain 40 points.

30 points will be awarded for having a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from Keele University.

10 points will be given for proving that you have enough money to meet the cost of studying and living in the UK (known as maintenance funds).

Please ensure that you fully understand the visa application process and have all the relevant documents before making your application.  If your visa application is refused you will not receive a refund of the fee and you may not be able to get a visa in time to start your course at Keele.  If you have any questions about applying for your visa, please contact internationalsupport@keele.ac.uk for assistance.

Visiting Students

If you will be studying at Keele for less than six months, you may be able to enter the UK without applying for entry clearance in advance.  In this case you will obtain entry clearance from the port of entry as a student visitor.  As a student visitor you will not be eligible to work during your time in the UK.  If you are unsure as to whether you should apply for a visa in advance and would like further information, please contact International Student Support at internationalsupport@keele.ac.uk

EEA and Swiss Students

If you are an EEA or Swiss National, you do not need to apply for entry clearance as you already have the right to stay in the UK for the full length of your course, however, you may choose to apply for a registration certificate, which confirms that you have a right of residence as a student.

You will receive your CAS number once you have accepted your place at Keele University.  The CAS is an electronic document produced by the UK Border Agency once they receive information about you from Keele University.  You will receive a CAS number from us and this number will identify you during your visa application and link to all the necessary information that the UK Border Agency requires to give you 30 points. 

The CAS is valid for 6 months from the date of issue.  Should you have any problems with your CAS then please contact the Visa Compliance Team at cas@keele.ac.uk.

You are only allowed to have one CAS assigned to you at any one time.  If you change your mind about where you choose to study your existing CAS will be cancelled.

If you have any questions about your current status, then please email International Student Support - internationalsupport@keele.ac.uk

Attendance Monitoring

Under the Points Based System, if you enter the UK on a Tier 4 (General) Student Visa, Keele University is obliged to tell the UK Border Agency if you fail to enrol within 10 days of the start of your course, withdraw from your course, defer or suspend your studies, or fail to attend for a significant amount of time. 

As your official sponsor, the University is responsible for all students in the UK with a Tier 4 (General) Student Visa that has a Keele University sponsor licence number, so we must keep records about you and report any changes or problems to the UK Border Agency.

We will take a copy of your passport, Biometric Residence Permit or UK immigration status document when you arrive and you must keep us informed of any changes to your information, including your address in the UK, mobile phone number and email.

Reporting Duties

The University will have to tell the UK Border Agency:

• If you do not enrol on your course
• If you do not turn up for the first day of your course
• If you do not attend your course, submit required coursework or attend exams without informing your School of Study at the University of any unavoidable reasons and providing proof
• If there are any significant changes in your circumstances, for example, if your course of study ends early, if you withdraw from your course or take time out from your studies
• Of any suspicions we may have that you are breaking the conditions of your visa (e.g. by working more than 20 hours per week during the semester)

You must provide us with all the information needed to enable us to meet these reporting duties.

Changing course and changing university

If you change course at Keele University, you do not need a new visa as long as your new course has the same end date as your original course.  If you need more time, you must apply for a new visa and Keele University will contact the UK Border Agency to inform them.

If your course ends early or if you are asked to leave your course, Keele University will contact the UK Border Agency and your visa will be shortened to 60 days unless you have less than six months of your visa remaining.

If you change to a different university, you must apply for a new visa which will have the sponsor license number of the new university on it.  You may start your new course once you have submitted your new visa application and before you receive a decision from the UK Border Agency, although it is at your own risk.

Maintenance Funds

You will need to provide evidence showing that you have access to the following amount of money:

To give you an example:

Masters Degree in International Business

Tuition Fees for 2012/13                    -           £11,585

Course length                                     -           More than 9 months

Required for Living Costs                    -           £7,200

Total Funds required                       -           £18,785

For dependants                                -           £4,050 per dependant

If you are already in the UK with current leave and you have been studying on a course that is longer than 6 months, you may only have to show that you have £1,600 available to you for your living costs.  For further information please look at Paragraphs 143-146 of the Policy Guidance: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/Tier4migrantguidance1.pdf

Evidence of Funds

There are very specific rules on which documents will be accepted, and what each document must show in the Tier 4 Policy Guidance, paragraphs 162-194. http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbsTier4migrantguidance.pdf

Some examples of the type of documents you can use to prove that you have these funds available are as follows:

• A personal bank or building society statement in your name
• A building society passbook
• An official letter from your bank
• An official letter from a regulated financial institution confirming when the funds will be released to you
• Letter of official financial sponsorship
• Letter of official government sponsorship

Proof of shares, bonds or pensions are NOT acceptable as evidence of available funds. 

If you have an official sponsor (not including family) for all or part of your fees you must also enclose a copy of the award letter from your sponsor with the details of the payments they will make.  This will reduce the amount of funds you are required to show.  Please check with International Student Support if you think you qualify as a sponsored student.

What documents will I need to provide when I apply for my visa?

• A completed application form (see Applying for Your Visa for further information)
• The fee for your application
• Passport / Travel Documents
• CAS Number
• The original documents (listed on your CAS) that Keele used to assess your suitability for the course e.g. Certificate of Higher Education, IELTS Certificate
• Evidence that you have the correct amount of maintenance funds available to you
• Your Biometric ID card or your biometric details

If your CAS states that you require an ATAS certificate, then you must apply for one as soon as possible, as you cannot submit your visa application without this document.  The ATAS certificate (www.fco.gov.uk/atas) can take several weeks to arrive, so please make sure you apply for it in plenty of time.

'Low Risk' Applicants

The UK Border Agency has determined that some students can be considered as 'low risk' applicants.  This means that students who are nationals of the countries listed below will not normally need to provide all the supporting documents required as part of the Tier 4 (General) Student Visa application process.  To minimise the risk of visa refusal, we strongly recommend that all students provide the documentation required, regardless of nationality.  This is because the UK Border Agency still retain the right to request all the documents from you.  An application from a 'low risk' applicant can still be refused if any documentation requested by the UK Border Agency is not submitted to them by the date stated in the request.

To be considered 'low risk', you must be sponsored by a Highly Trusted Sponsor such as Keele University, and you must be already in the UK or applying for a Tier 4 visa in your country of nationality.

Additionally, you must be a British National (Overseas) or a national of one of the countries below (evidenced by your passport):

• Argentina
• Australia
• Brunei
• Canada
• Chile
• Croatia
• Hong Kong
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Taiwan (if you hold a passport issued by Taiwan that includes the number of the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan)
• Trinidad and Tobago
• USA

For further information on making an application as a 'low risk' applicant, please contact International Student Support at internationalsupport@keele.ac.uk

What are biometric details?

Part of the Points Based Immigration System involves taking a record of your biometric details.  You will be asked to attend an appointment at a visa application centre or biometric enrolment centre where they will take a photograph of your face, and record your fingerprints.

If you are extending your visa from inside the UK, you will receive a biometric ID card (Biometric Residence Permit) instead of a visa vignette (sticker) in your passport.

From your Home Country

Details of your nearest Visa Application Centre can be found here:

Visa Application Centres Overseas - http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/countries/

To apply for a Tier 4 (General) Student Visa, you need to complete two application forms:

Points Based System Form VAF9 - http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/visas/vaf9.pdf

AND

Appendix 8 Tier 4 (General) Student -

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/visas/vaf9-app81.pdf

You are required to apply for entry clearance before you leave your home country.  Although there are a few exceptions to this rule, it is still recommended that you apply for entry clearance.  This is because there are benefits to you in the future should you wish to remain in the UK for further study or work.

You should apply for your visa as soon as you have received your CAS from Keele University.  Applications can take a long time so please make sure you apply as soon as possible.

If you are already studying in the UK then you will need to extend the visa you already hold and change the Sponsor License Number recorded on your visa.

Applying for your visa if you are already here in the UK

To apply for a Tier 4 (General) Student visa while you are in the UK, you will need the following application form:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/tier4applicationform1.pdf

Guidance on the requirements of studying in the UK and information on how to complete the application form can be found here:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/Tier4migrantguidance.pdf

Please check the UKBA website at www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk to make sure you have the latest version of the application form and guidance as they are frequently updated and amended.  If you have any questions at all about applying for your visa, please email International Student Support at internationalsupport@keele.ac.uk

Checking your Visa

Once you have been granted your visa, you must check it thoroughly to make sure that all the information is correct. 

If you apply as a Tier 4 (General) Student, your visa should end:

• Four months after the end of the course if your total course length is 12 months or more.
• Two months after the end of the course if your total course length is six months or more, but less than 12 months.
• One week after the end of the course if your total course length is less than six months.

Make sure the following details are correct:

• Name is spelled correctly
• Date of birth
• Type of visa
• Check the 'valid until' date
• Are you required to register with the Police on arrival in the UK?  If so, Keele has special arrangements in place with Staffordshire Police and International Student Support can assist you with this
• Your working permissions and restrictions

If you think any of the information on your visa is wrong, please contact International Student Support at internationalsupport@keele.ac.uk for advice and assistance. 

Medical Screening

You may be required to get a certificate to show that you do not have infectious tuberculosis (TB).  Testing is available in the following countries:

• Bangladesh
• Cambodia
• Ghana (including applications from Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo and Niger)
• Kenya (including applications from Eritrea and Somalia
• Pakistan
• Sudan
• Tanzania
• Thailand (including applications from Laos)

There are plans to introduce more countries to the list of those requiring a TB test over the next 18 months.  Please check regularly with the website mentioned below.

Please note that if you are bringing any dependants with you, they will also be required to produce a certificate.

There is a cost for this screening and it is your responsibility to meet this cost.  Further information and how to apply can be found on the following website - http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/guidance/ecg/med/

International Students

Unless your visa states any other restrictions or prohibitions, then you can work:

• Part time during the University semesters up to a MAXIMUM of 20 hours per week.
• Full time during University vacations or as part of an official work placement included in your course.

More information can be found in the 'Living in the UK' section of these Welcome Pages.

EU/EEA Students

Students from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia or Slovenia no longer need to register under the Worker Registration Scheme.  Students from these countries can now work in the UK without needing permission.

National of Bulgaria and Romania should apply for a Registration Certificate at http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/eea/bulgariaromania/ before they can legally work in the UK.

All other EEA or Swiss nationals are entitled to work in the UK without restrictions.

Preparing your financial evidence

The new Points Based System for entry to the UK means that you must have sufficient money available to you before you arrive in the UK and that you can access this money.

If you do not need a visa to study in the UK then you are still required to have sufficient funds available to cover your tuition fees and living costs.  This is a big financial commitment and you must consider this very carefully.

You might be eligible to work part time in the UK but it is important that you do not rely on money earned from working as a source of income.  You should always plan financially for a situation where you will not be working in the UK as part time work is increasingly difficult to source in the UK.

Scholarships and Bursaries

There are very few scholarships and bursaries for international students and it can be difficult to obtain one.

The British Council in your home country has information about any financial support that may be available to you.  http://www.educationuk.org/UK/Applications/Scholarships-for-UK-study

Keele University does offer a Keele International Student Scholarship.  The Scholarship award for undergraduate students is £2000 toward the cost of annual tuition fees for the duration of the course.  The Scholarship award for postgraduate students (Masters Degree students only) is £3000 toward the total tuition fees.  For more information and conditions, visit http://www.keele.ac.uk/scholarships-international/.

Please remember that you must have all your funding in place BEFORE you arrive in the UK.

If you are an EEA or Swiss national, you may be entitled to a Student Loan for your tuition fees if you are studying for a full undergraduate degree course.  Please see the following website for more information: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/StudentsFromOtherEUCountries/DG_065322

Erasmus students will receive details about their funding from their home institution.  The Student Funding Office http://www.keele.ac.uk/studentfunding/ here at Keele can offer you advice on the funding you may be entitled to and how to apply. 

Bringing money in to the country

It is very unsafe to travel with large amounts of cash, so we recommend that you pay your tuition fees online in advance.  You MUST NOT bring your tuition fees in cash to the UK.

If you currently live outside the EEA or Switzerland, you are required to declare any money you are carrying with you if it is more than 10,000 Euros or equivalent, and this includes bank drafts and travellers cheques.

Payment of Tuition Fees

Details of your tuition fees for 2012/13 were included with your offer letter.  All international students will receive an invoice, once they have arrived at Keele, which will be sent to their Keele email account.

If you are an Erasmus or Exchange student you are not required to pay tuition fees, but normally your accommodation fees are your responsibility.  There are a few exceptions with some of our Exchange partners, e.g. South Africa.  Please contact keeleinternational@keele.ac.uk if you are uncertain.

If you are responsible for your own fees and wish to pay instalments by Direct Debit, then you will also need to complete and submit a Direct Debit form.  The Direct Debit form can be accessed online at: http://www.keele.ac.uk/finance/income/paymentmethods/.

You will be required to pay your tuition fees by set dates, details of which are available online at: http://www.keele.ac.uk/finance/income/paymentdates/.

Many students will find it most convenient to pay their fees in advance before enrolling at Keele.  Details of how you can do this are available online at: http://www.keele.ac.uk/finance/income/paymentmethods/.

Please note that all forms of payment must be in British Pounds Stirling - the Euro is not a currency in the UK.

Bank Accounts

It is essential that you open a UK bank account once you have arrived in the UK and enrolled at Keele, but it may take a few weeks before you will be able to use this account.  Because of this, we recommend you bring around £300 in cash and a further £300 in travellers cheques to cover your general living expenses for the first few weeks you are in the UK.

Keele University has a branch of Santander Bank on campus.  For convenience, you may find it beneficial to open an account with Santander if you will be living on campus, however, you should research the benefits and disadvantages of an account with each major UK bank before you decide to open an account so that you can choose a bank that is right for you.

International Student Support has produced a booklet entitled 'Opening a UK Bank Account', which will shortly be available to download from here and will also be available to collect from the Student Support and Development Services Reception.  We recommend that you consult this booklet before opening an account.

To open a bank account in the UK, you will need

• Passport and visa
• Your University letter of acceptance that you received at your home residential address (the bank is looking for evidence that the University has corresponded with you at your place of residence)
• Proof of your term-time address (the Student Records and Exams Office can provide this on request; students living off campus should take their rental contract)
• A recent bank statement or credit card statement from your home bank, translated into English and containing your residential address (the statement must be less than three months old) 

Whether you are living on campus, in Liberty Court or in private, rented accommodation, the Student Accommodation team are here to help you.

As a new student coming to Keele, you will have been sent our Welcome to Keele - Living Away From Home Guide.  It contains loads of information about living away from home and living on campus.  If you haven't received your copy, you can download it from our Accommodation webpages or email accomenq@keele.ac.uk for a copy to be sent to you. 

Full details of the accommodation available and how to apply are on the following website: http://www.keele.ac.uk/studyatkeele/accommodation/internationalstudents/

You are offered a room in our student accommodation for the duration of your studies, providing you apply by the University's deadline each year as a returning student.

If you are a postgraduate student and will be living on campus, you will need to sign and return your contract together with the advance payment.  The accommodation offer letter has the date by which your acceptance and advance payment must be returned.  If you are an undergraduate student and will be living on campus, you will need to bring both copies or your accommodation contract with you.  Make sure you read the contract and the terms and conditions, and sign and bring both copies with you - you will need to hand it in before we can give you your room key.  We will then sign one copy and return it to you.  We will keep the other copy.  If you are going to arrive after 19 September, don't worry - we will hold your room until 30 September.  If you haven't arrived by then, we will cancel your contract and offer the room to another student.

If you have any queries before you arrive, you can contact us:

By email - accomenq@keele.ac.uk

By telephone - +44 (0)1782 734152

If you are going to live in privately rented accommodation outside of the University facilities, Advice and Support at Keele (ASK) within Keele Students' Union (KeeleSU) have useful information on sourcing accommodation, including things that you need to consider when renting and a checklist of things to look out for in a new property http://www.kusu.net/offcampus.html.  See also http://www.keelestudentpad.co.uk/ for information on accommodation near to Keele.  The UK Council for International Student Affairs also give advice in their factsheet 'Accommmodation for International Students' at http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/info_sheets/accommodation.php.

Accommodation Fees

If you will be living in campus accommodation, you will need to pay your accommodation fees in three instalments.

You will need to make an advance payment of £450 to secure your room before you arrive.  This £450 payment is split between a £150 room deposit, which is refundable (less any damages or outstanding debts) when you vacate your room and £300 payable towards the first instalment of your accommodation fees.

If you already have a UK bank account and would like to pay by Direct Debit, you should complete the online form and return it to Keele before Friday 31 August.  You can also complete a mandate online through eVision (see Getting Connected) and you must do this by Friday 14 September.

Details of the room that you have been allocated will be sent to you separately before you arrive.  With your accommodation offer, we will also send you a copy of the terms and conditions and our Welcome to Keele - Living Away From Home Guide.  If you have concerns about being able to meet the payment deadlines, contact the Income Office as soon as possible.

Making Your Advance Payment

You can make this payment of £450:

• online with a debit or credit card using your eVision (see Getting Connected) login and clicking on the 'Finance Details' menu option.
• by cheque, please make your cheque payable to Keele University and return to the Income Office address below, quoting your student number on the reverse.
• by Bank Transfer - the University bank details are as follows.  Please remember to quote your student number as a reference followed by TF if the payment is for tuition fees only, RF if the payment is for accommodation fees only, and BF if the payment is for both tuition and accommodation fees.

University Bankers:      National Westminster Bank

Bank Address:             75 High Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 1PP, UK

Account Name:            Keele University

Sort Code:                   54-10-27

Account Number:         05600456

IBAN Number:              GB68 NWBK 5410 2705 6004 56

BIC:                             NWBKGB2L

For tuition and accommodation fee payments and general finance enquiries:

Income Office - Telephone +44 (0)1782 and then 733152 or 734324 or 734323 or 733052

Email - income@keele.ac.uk

Check the email address that you gave to us during the application process; you should by now have received an email providing details of your IT account information.

Make a note of your username and password and then go to: http://students.keele.ac.uk and log on.  If you have not received your IT account information or do not have an email address, then please contact studentrecords@keele.ac.uk who will arrange for this information to be sent to you.

You are now in the Student Portal where you can access all the services you will use as a student including the Keele Learning Environment (KLE).  Have a look at the four tabs in the top area of the screen, Home, Learning, Co-Curriculum and The Office.

Home is your own home page.  You can add and remove any of the panels (or portal modules) and rearrange them as you wish.  Everything from the important essay due dates to local cinema listings.  (Click the 'Add Module' button to see the full list.)

Learning is for your Courses and contains sub tabs to the Library and Student Support and Development Services.

The Co-Curriculum tab has buttons for the main activities as well as spaces for clubs and societies.  Keele is much more than your academic studies and looks to support your activities outside your normal academic studies.

The Office contains the essential information you need to be a student on a daily basis.  There are sub tabs for Timetable, Email and Docs (powered by Google for Keele).  Internal Telephone Directory and Access for eVision.  Our eVision system is for student records; it's where you will pre-enrol, pay your fees, choose elective subjects and check your final grades as the year progresses.

PebblePad

From September 2012 onwards, all Keele students will have a PebblePad account.  This allows you to create an online portfolio of your experiences and achievements, mapping your personal and professional development which you can share with others.

You probably want to know more about PebblePad and what it can do for you.  For more information, go to http://www.pebblepad.co.uk/user.current.asp.

Take time to explore the pages at http://www.keele.ac.uk/it as they will answer most of your questions.  For further help there is the IT Help Desk which can be found in the Library Building.

Pre-enrolment Process

By 11 September at the latest, you must log onto the University's eVision system to complete the pre-enrolment process by following the instructions. 

To complete the pre-enrolment process go to http://students.keele.ac.uk and log on with your username and password.  Click on the green tab 'The Office', you'll find this located at the top right of the screen and then click on the 'eVision' tab located on the left side of the screen.  From there all you have to do is follow the on-screen instructions which will guide you through the process. 

The pre-enrolment process will allow you to:

• Provide a photograph of yourself so that we can produce your Keele Card (your identification card whilst you are at the University) ready for when you arrive at Keele
• Supply us with details of a person who we could get in touch with in case of an emergency
• Check and confirm other information we hold about you, which will save you time when you arrive at Keele
• Choose any elective or optional modules, if these are required as part of your undergraduate degree course.  You will be able to do this once you have received confirmation that you have successfully completed the pre-enrolment process.

Once you have logged in to eVision, please follow the instructions to complete the pre-enrolment process.

If you have chosen a modern language elective (undergraduate students only), a 'Language Level Confirmation' form will be sent to your Keele email address.  Please complete and return by email to ensure enrolment on the correct language level.  This form must be returned to us by 12 September.

When you arrive at Keele University you will be required to attend the drop-in enrolment session scheduled from 11am to 6pm on Thursday 20 September, where we will need to check your ID.  Please see the checklists to ensure you have all the correct documentation in advance.

If you do not complete the pre-enrolment process before you arrive at Keele then your Keele Card will not be ready when you arrive.  Although we can make a card on your arrival, there will be a delay. 

Keele Email

Once you have received your username and password, you will be able to access your Keele email.  To access your email log on at http://students.keele.ac.uk and click on 'The Office' then 'Email'.  Keele University uses Google to provide the email service, which also gives you access to other Google services such as Documents, Calendar, Sites and Chat.  For more information about Google Mail at Keele, go to http://www.keele.ac.uk/it and click on the Email link on the left.

In an emergency, your family can contact you at Keele as follows:

1. The contact number for incoming calls to rooms in Halls of Residence is +44 (0)1782 73 plus the four digit extension of the room.
2. From Monday to Friday between 9am-5pm (GMT/+1) Student Support and Development Services Reception can be contacted on +44 (0)1782 734481.
3. If you live in a Hall of Residence, after 5pm or at the weekend a Residence Support Assistant will be on duty and can be contacted on the relevant Hall number.  Details are available on your room information card.  When you arrive at Keele, please give this number to your family and friends back home.
4. Also after 5pm and at the weekend, Security can be contacted on +44 (0)1782 733004 and they can pass a message to you immediately. 

If you will be living off campus, it is essential that we have a record of your address and contact telephone numbers.  You will be asked to confirm these during the pre-enrolment process.

During the first day of International Orientation on Wednesday 19 September, we shall have computers available to use in the Contact Cafe on your arrival at Keele, and also in the Library, should you wish to send a quick email or social website message to your family and friends to confirm your safe arrival.