Last Updated on April 14, 2024 by Umer Malik
Students living in European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland always had a soft corner for The United Kingdom as a place to study abroad. The exemption from paying hefty fees unlike other foreign nationals is one of the primary reasons behind having a butter-soft heart for the country’s educational system.
Nonetheless, the ease of access to professors and the academic environment of universities like Oxford and Cambridge and Imperial College of London are the other reasons why so many students from all over the globe flock to the country.
However, a student from EEU countries or other nations would consider the cost of studying abroad in the UK before applying for an academic program in the country. So let’s analyse the overall cost of studying in the UK.
1. University tuition fees in the UK
After Brexit, there is a change in how university education costs students, which confuses the students to get a precise value of the tuition fees in the United Kingdom. Let’s clear it out:
Before Brexit, universities in the country billed its international students in two ways:
- Home Student fee – The lower tuition fees were enjoyed by students residing in the country and those who hailed from Ireland, EU and EEU countries
- International Student fee – Students residing in Non-EEU countries paid double or triple the fees paid by home students.
However, after Brexit, the country brought a specific change in educational changes. It varies on two factors:
- Nationality of the student – whether born and brought up in the EU/EEA or Switzerland
- Time of pursuing the course – Whether starting to pursue the academic program in the UK from or after January 2021.
Based on these factors, the academic programs are calculated as:
- An EEU and EU student who landed on January 1, 2021, and started pursuing the academic program before July 31, 2021, are charged like home students.
- A student who arrived in the country after January 2021 and began the academic program after August 1, 2021, is exempt from the home student fees. Therefore, it indicates that these students are exempt from a student loan and are bound to pay the entire tuition fees of the university.
However, this rule does not apply to Irish nationals and students from other foreign non-EEU countries.
Public University Tuition Fees
Individuals who want to move to England to pursue public universities will also have to spend significant dollars.
For home students, the fees range from 5000 to 11000 Euros, varying with the university and the academic program enrolled in. It also depends on the tenure of the academic program.
International students must add 2500 – 7500 Euros to the initial home student fees. Specifically, the fees may rise to 2-3 times the basic home student fees.
Private University Tuition Fees
Usually, private university tuition fees are much higher than public universities. However, the fees for these universities remain the same as that of UK nationals. Therefore, one can expect the charges to range from 5000 to 35000 Euros for each academic year of the program.
Nonetheless, if a student wants to pursue higher education in medicine and business, they must be ready to pay a lot more, whether enrolled in a private or public university.
Universities with low cost of study:
If these high expenses make a reader rethink the decision to study in the UK, it’s time to consider the following universities. They offer affordable degrees costing less than 5000 euros yearly for the Bachelor’s and Master’s programs. Here is a glimpse of a few:
- Aston University
- University of Sterling
- The University of the West Of Scotland
2. Student living costs in the UK
The cost of living in the UK is higher than in most other first-world countries; it is calculated in Great Britain Pounds, where 5 Euros equals 1 Great Britain Pound. Studies suggest that London is the 4th most expensive country in the globe.
For example, the standard cost to stay in London for a month may be more than 1500 euros or approximately 1350 Great Britain Pound, but in the suburbs, the cost may come down to 800-1200 euros each month. In Great Britain Pound, the value may range between 700–1,200.
3. Lodging costs
Many UK universities offer residential facilities in their hostels. The boarding facilities are pretty reasonable and include the cost of utilities in their boarding costs. However, it is comparatively expensive if a student opts for a rented space. Here are the tentative costs of living in the UK:
In the city centre –
- Studio apartment costs – 2500 GBP each month
- 3-bedroom apartment costs – 6000 GBP each month
Outside the city –
- Studio apartment costs – 1400 GBP each month
- 3-bedroom apartment costs – 1700 GBP each month
Apart from that, one must also consider the monthly utility expenses, which may range between 80 – 170 GBP.
4. Costs of daily bread in the UK
Food and groceries may cost a student anywhere between 100 – 300 GBP. However, the prices may surge quickly if one decides to eat food from hotels. Here are some of the average expenses of daily bread in the country:
- Cost of a loaf of bread – 1.21 GBP
- Cost of 1-litre milk – 1GBP
- 1 litre of milk: 0.90 GBP
- Cost of 1 kg White Rice: 1.81 GBP
- Cost of 1 kg of local cheese: 6.5 GBP
- Cost of a kg of apples: 2 GBP
- Cost of a bottle of water: 1.21 GBP
- 1 m1eal at affordable restaurants: 10-30 GBP
5. Transportation costs
The UK offers various forms of transport to commute daily. It offers exceptional discounts for students and youth; the cost varies from city to city. For example:
- In train: A Young Persons Card for a student availing full-time program in any university will cost them a discount of 30% from the current price of commutation.
- Metro and Subway tube in London: Students over 18 years can buy an Oyster Student card to avail of a 30% discount on commutation.
- Bus: A one-way bus fare can range between 1.50–2.50 GBP depending on the distance travelled.
6. Additional costs to study in the UK
Apart from these, students must also consider a few additional expenses. For example:
A ticket to cinema, concerts and theatre will cost them 50 – 100 a month.
A one-time student visa calls for spending approximately 350 GBP
If the student wishes to avail of the UK’s national health service, one must consider an additional expense of 500 GBP each year. clipaper
To sum up,
Do you want study in uk after 12th
The cost of studying in the UK can never be labelled as too high, considering that it is a first-world country. Moreover, if a student decides to stay out of the city centre and is not a spendthrift, it is easy to lead a civilised standard of living and continue the study in the country.
