Studying Abroad?
Studying abroad is not a decision that any student should take lightly as there are both excellent benefits and extreme drawbacks. Students from the UK’s most popular destinations include the Netherlands, Scandinavia, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The 4 latter ones on the list are popular due to the English speaking population of the countries; however you will have to pay what many would consider extortionate fees to go there.
While the former 2 options offer courses taught in English (Netherlands) and in Denmark and Sweden, no tuition fees.
How to Apply
If you’re seriously considering applying to a University abroad then it doesn’t go through the normal UCAS system that all of your UK applications will go through. For applications to Universities in the E.U. then you should use the EUNICAS page which will guide you through your selection.
The best thing about applying for a University abroad is that they won’t count towards your University choices in the UK, which through UCAS will be limited. Moreover universities in Holland are not allowed to select candidates on academic ability as long as they meet the criteria for the course (which is very low), then they must select on potential etc. Using the EUNICAS system, you will get up to 8 applications to Universities in the EU which could mean you apply to around 13 universities in the UK and abroad, widening your choices depending on your results in August.
However, if you are applying to Universities outside of the UK, you will often have to download application forms from the Universities off their website or write letters to them requesting an application form. Often you will need to write specific personal statements to the Universities or get character references off your teachers.
How much does it cost?
Firstly, the cost of tuition fees for Universities outside of the UK is likely to be much cheaper if studying in the E.U. and much more expensive if outside the E.U. If you go to a University within the E.U. then you are entitled to the same student benefits that residents of the country are and hence, funding should not be a problem for these students.
However, if you are considering going to the U.S.A. or similar then you should consider applying for scholarships or grants that will be available on the Universities website under the funding and scholarships section. The cost of going to University in the U.S. is around $60000 for an undergraduate course per year; hence often grants or loans will be required to cover the expense.