Advice and Support
Visa information
Insurance
Accommodation
Student Support
Services
Personal
Tutor and International Officer
English
Language Support
Workshops
Arriving
in the UK and at the College
International Club
Visa information
Any student who is not a British citizen or is not from the European
Economic Area, should obtain entry clearance from a British Embassy
or High Commission before travelling to the UK.
There are two forms of Entry clearance - Visa and Entry Certificate.
Visa - Students who are from a country that is on
the 'visa national list' must obtain a visa from a British Embassy
or High Commission abroad. You will not be admitted into the UK without
it, under any circumstances.
Entry Certificate - (for all other non-EEA nationals)
Students who are coming to study for more than six months are advised
to obtain an Entry Certificate before travelling.
NB There is a charge for all Entry Clearance.
On arrival in the UK you must be able to demonstrate that:
-
you have been accepted for a full-time course of study, that
is, at least 15 hours per week.
-
you can pay the tuition fees and maintain yourself.
-
you intend to leave the UK at the end of your course.
In order to prove all of the above, you will need to produce original
letters and documents, ie the college offer letter, and a letter from
your sponsor or a bank statement.
If you wish to travel to the UK before you have been offered a place
on a course, you should still obtain Entry Clearance. You should explain
clearly to the Entry Clearance Officer in your own country, and to
the Immigration Officer in the UK, that you are a prospective student,
looking for a full-time course. You will then be allowed to enter
the UK for 6 months. Once enrolled, you must apply to the Home Office
for an extension to stay, ie for a student visa. The College will
help you with this.
Do NOT enter the UK as a visitor hoping to change your status to
that of a student once you are in this country. It is very difficult
to change.
For further information on visas, please visit the UKCOSA website
at http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/pages/advice.htm
Insurance
International students studying in the UK for six months or more are
entitled to free medical treatment on the NHS (National Health Service).
However, students may like to take out insurance whilst in the UK
in the case of an accident or serious illness.
Endsleigh Insurance in conjunction with UKCOSA have developed a special
policy for international students studying in the UK, called the Endsleigh
Medical and Accident Policy for International Students*.
For more information please visit www.endsleigh.co.uk.
*Please note however that this does not constitute a recommendation
by the college.
Accommodation Information
Option 1 (over 18s only)
The college has a list of accommodation at differing prices. The
list contains both self-catering and half board accommodation*. To
request a copy of this list please contact the Advice Centre at amanda.burns@rutc.ac.uk.
You will then need to contact the landlord yourself to enquire about
availability.
*Please note that the rent, deposit and notice period are at the landlord’s
discretion.
It is the responsibility of the student to adhere to
this.
Option 2
McKenna’s Homestay Services
can organise accommodation for you with a homestay family. All McKenna’s
Homestay Services families are within walking distance or a
short bus-ride from the college and are of a high quality.
Accommodation fees - For the current fee
and general details please visit McKenna’s
Homestay Services website.
Student Support Services
Student Advice Centre: The Student Advice Team will
do their best to make sure you settle in quickly and that you are
happy during your time at the college. If you are having problems
at college or at home and want to talk to someone, you can make an
appointment in the Student Advice Centre to see a Student Advisor
or a College Counsellor. They will try their best to help you with
any worries you may have with issues such as accommodation, money,
exam stress, or any personal problems you may have. The service is
free and completely confidential.
Nurse: The college has a nurse who you can
see at any time if you are feeling unwell at college. She can also
give advice on any health-related issues that you have. You should
still register with your local doctor's surgery if you are here for
over six months.
Chaplain: The college chaplain (who is also
a lecturer) will discuss any pastoral, spiritual or academic matter
with you. You can see the chaplain whatever your religion. The college
also has several religious societies.
Personal Tutor
You will succeed best if you are happy with your choice of subjects,
are well organised and free from worrying problems. Your personal
tutor will help you in all these aspects of your life here. When you
first arrive he or she will help you settle into college and guide
you through the induction period when you will find out about the
geography of the campus and about your timetable.
From then on you see your tutor for an hour each week, with the rest
of your tutor group. These tutorials are an important channel of information
and give you the opportunity to discuss what is going on in the college.
You may also arrange to see your tutor for individual chats if you
need some particular help or advice. Your tutor will talk to you individually
about how you are finding life in the UK and about the progress you
are making on your course.
English Language Support
International students on full-time academic or vocational courses
are entitled to free English language classes for 2 hours per week.
At the end of the course you will be able to take the International
English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, which is widely recognised
across the world.
Workshops
If you are following a full-time academic or vocational course and
you are having difficulty with any aspects of one of your subjects,
you should go and see your lecturer. It may be that extra time spent
in one of the many subject related workshops that we offer will sort
out any difficulties that you are having. These are a vital part of
college life. If you feel a bit nervous asking too many questions
in class, these are for you. Everyone here will be looking for extra
support from our expert staff who are always on duty in the workshops.
Arriving in the UK and at the college
London has five international airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted,
Luton and London City. Heathrow airport is only 12 kilometres from
the college, and is the easiest to reach. For more information on
how to reach the college from each airport, and on the college's pick-up
charges, please contact the Courses Officer at courses@rutc.ac.uk.
He will be able to provide you with details of buses, trains and transport
costs.
Once you have enrolled at our college you
will be invited to attend an introduction day. This is a special day
for all international students. It will be a chance for you to get
to know other international students, meet support staff and have
a look around the college before the term begins. Any questions about
accommodation, visas, enrolment or your course can be talked over
with a member of staff. You will also be given a pack of information
about the area and London in general. At the end of the day you will
be taken for a trip around the local area.
International Club
The International Club meets weekly during college hours and will
enable you to make new friends and share ideas and experiences with
other international students. In the past, events such as trips to
the theatre and bowling have been organized. In addition there are
many other clubs, societies and additional activities such as sport,
dance and martial arts that you take part in.
