Fees and Money Matters
| Home Fee | Overseas Fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Non-advanced courses | £1,008 | £5,500 |
| Advanced courses (HNC/D) | £1,285 | £9,800 |
Fees for Full Time Courses
Based on the information you supply with your application form, the College will determine whether you meet the criteria of a 'home' fee payer. These criteria are complex and set down by the UK government legislation.
If you are an international student and you are unsure whether you qualify for 'home fees', please contact the International Guidance Tutor.
Payment of Fees
For full time courses the tuition fees will be detailed in your letter of offer. These fees are non-negotiable and must be paid in full prior to enrolment. The fees cover the cost of tuition and Aberdeen College facilities, including library and computer access. The fees do not cover any other necessary expenses such as books, notebooks and stationary.
Payment can be accepted in the form of: cash, debit or credit card, a cheque drawn on a UK bank and made out in pounds Sterling, a bank draft from a UK bank made out in pounds Sterling or by bank transfer direct to the College bank account.
If you have any questions regarding payment of full time course fees as an international student and the different payment options available to you please contact the International Guidance Tutor.
Tuition Fees – Part Time 2010/11
Most fees quoted in the Part Time Guide are for courses priced at the 'home rate' fee. If you are liable to pay the 'overseas fee', please contact the Information and Booking Centre, they will calculate this for you.
How much Money will I Need to Live on?
The cost of living in Aberdeen is quite high and you should budget for about £600 per month to meet basic living expenses such as rent, heating, food, transport, books and other necessities.
Guide to Cost of Living in Aberdeen
The following information provides a general guide to the cost of living in Aberdeen and is designed to help you plan your finances. Please note that prices may change at any time and are based on a single student living in private accommodation and cover term time only (September – July).
Accommodation
Please note that Aberdeen College does not have student accommodation.
The cost of accommodation in Aberdeen can be quite high depending on where you want to stay.
Halls of Residence (Privately owned and self catering)
Prices range from £55 per week for a single study bedroom in a 6 – 8 bedded shared flat to £115 per week for a one bedded apartment. Contact Student Accommodation Aberdeen from Unite for further details of accommodation in Aberdeen.
Food: from £30 per week.
Private Flat (Shared)
Prices for a bedroom in private flats in Aberdeen range from £55 to £90 per week.
Utility bills: from £22 per week
Food: from £30 per week
Other types of accommodation may be available. Please contact Learner Services for more information (01224 612284).
| Cost Per Month | Cost Per Year | |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | £595 | £6,695 |
| Accommodation | £240 | £2,640 |
| Food | £120 | £1,320 |
| Utility Bills | £88 | £968 |
| Laundry | £30 | £330 |
| Travel (around Aberdeen) | £42 | £462 |
| Books | — | £150 |
| Clothes | £45 | £495 |
| Misc. | £30 | £330 |
These figures represent the basic minimum living costs for a single student and are based on living in private self-catering accommodation and cover term time only (September – July). They do not include the cost of tuition fees or travel from your home country. If you bring your family with you to stay in Aberdeen we would recommend a minimum of £11,000 per year for a married couple and an additional £1,000 for each child.
State Benefits
International students are generally not entitled to state benefits as these are usually classed as 'public funds'. Public funds include: Child Benefit, Income Support, Housing Benefit, Council Housing, Council Tax Benefit, amongst others.
In an emergency, you may be able to claim short term help from the Benefits Agency – an Urgent Cases Payment. You can only claim if your reason for having no money is temporary; your funds from abroad have been held up but are expected to resume in the near future. Please contact the International Guidance Tutor if you need advice about this.
However students in Scotland are generally entitled to treatment from the National Health Service from the beginning of their stay – you will not have to pay to register with a doctor or to receive hospital treatment. However, you are likely to have to pay for any medicines prescribed by a doctor and for dental treatment. You may want to take out private medical insurance to cover some of these costs.
If your children are between the ages of 5 and 16 they can attend state primary and secondary schools in the UK, if they have come here are your dependants and you are in the UK as a student on a course of 6 months or more.
What about Opening a Bank Account?
It is important to establish banking arrangements as soon as possible. It would be appropriate to choose a bank close to your accommodation or place of study. Do not leave money or traveller's cheques lying around and do not carry large amounts of cash on your person.
Most banks offer student accounts (often with a variety of benefits and discounts) and this service is normally available to international students. There are many different UK banks and most have branches in Aberdeen. You should compare a few of these and see which one offers the best service for your needs.
To open a bank account (normally a 'current account') you will need some form of identification (e.g. a passport), evidence of your address (this could be a copy of your tenancy agreement, rent book or even a letter from the College), and if you want a student account you will need a letter from the College confirming your student status – you can obtain this by going to the Learner Services reception desk and completing a 'letter request' form. A current account normally provides you with a bank card which will allow you to withdraw money from 'cash machines', even when the banks themselves are closed. Banks are normally open Monday – Friday 0930 – 1630, although some operate extended hours.
Your bank will issue you with regular statements to help you keep track of your money and you can usually check your balance and get a mini statement through a cash machine. Your bank account may also allow you to access telephone or internet banking – ask at your branch.
If you have regular bills to pay while staying in the UK, it may be possible to set up direct debits/standing orders. This is sometimes useful if you find it difficult to get to a bank or tend to forget to make payments on time. You should ask for more information on these services from your branch.
If you have any problems in trying to open a bank account related to being an international student please see the International Guidance Tutor for advice. Please also refer to the British Banker's Association website.
Transferring Money into a UK Bank Account
It can be quite expensive to send foreign currency to a UK bank account – check with your branch for the cheapest method if money will be sent to you from outside the UK on a regular basis. You will need to provide the person sending the money with details of the full name and address of your bank, your full name and account number and your bank's sort code.
If you are bringing money into the UK, you can ask your bank abroad to issue you with a cheque drawn in Sterling from a bank in London or you can bring Sterling traveller's cheques. You will need to have ID with you (e.g. your passport) and often proof of your address when you cash these.