The International Student Blog

With the new year only weeks away, a new semester will start for many students – some will be returning back to school and for others it will be a start at their new school. To help you with this, we have provided a checklist of things you need make sure are in place for the new semester:

1. Check/ Book Flights
Check and reconfirm your flights for your trip over. If you have not booked a flight yet it is not too late and it could actually save you money as Airlines tend to put sales on after Christmas.

2. Arrange Accommodation
When you first arrive, make sure you have accommodation during the first few nights.

3. Finances/ Student Loans
Make sure all your finances are in order – if you still are short of funds, you can still apply for an international student loan

4. Student Health Insurance
While some schools will automatically require you to enroll in their insurance plan, other schools will leave this up to you – and most schools will not allow you to register without proof of insurance. Save yourself time and hassle by applying now, so that you have confirmation ready when you arrive to register for classes.

5. Stay in touch
Being in a foreign country can be daunting, so make sure you have a way to either call home or for home to call you with an international calling card or sim card.

6. Ask Questsions
You will most likely have lots of questions, hopefully your international student advisor will have answered them all and they are the best person to talk to. However if you want another perspective try international student forums for information and to talk to other students.

…..and the most important thing is to have fun and enjoy yourself!

Although the USA is a huge draw for many students that want to study internationally, the UK is easily the number 2 destination for international students. Traditionally funding to study in the USA can be very hard to find, however with the International Student Loan Program and the International Financial Aid Center that we have now developed, we are making access to funding for students much easier.

The UK, however, does not have the same sort of funding channels for international students. There is no specific loan program yet for students looking to study in the UK – however scholarships are a great source, but finding them can be hard.

The new UK International Financial Aid Cetner for students studying in the UK has been launched that offers a international students a source to get help and advice for funding their education in the UK. The main highlight of this new section is the Universities that Award Financial Aid – this database provides you with access to schools in the UK that provide financial assistance, such as scholarships, to international students that are enrolled or plan to enroll.

Please check out the new International Financial Aid Center for Studying in the UK.