Undergraduate - Before You Arrive

Studying at undergraduate level for the first time may be exciting, but it can also be stressful. Below is a handy list of things to remember before you start your undergraduate course.

• 1. Fees and Funding
  
  Each of our undergraduate courses has different tuition fees, and depending on the course, you may need to budget for additional requirements, such as books, equipment or materials costs, for example.

  You can apply for a loan to cover tuition fees, but be aware that there are different requirements depending on whether you are a ‘Home/EU’ or ‘Overseas’ student, so make sure you check what applies to you.

  If you are applying for a maintenance loan to cover living expenses, make sure you know how much you applied for, and when it will be paid into your bank account.

  Make sure you apply early for tuition fee and maintenance loans to ensure that the funding is is place before you arrive in September. You can apply with your preferred course and change later if needed - no need to wait for an offer.

   

• 2. Bursaries
  
  South Thames Colleges Group has a number of bursaries available for undergraduate students, which may help with additional costs. To be eligible, you will need to have applied for the full maintenance loan amount (and be able to prove this), and allow Student Finance England to share your details with the College when you apply.

   

• 3. Students with a Disability or Specific Learning Difficulty
  
  If you have a long-term condition or disability, you may be entitled to additional support from the government in the form of Disabled Student Allowance (DSA).

  You apply for this at the same time as your tuition fee and maintenance loans. Again, make sure you apply well in advance of the start of your course to ensure that funding is available when you arrive.

  The term 'disability' covers a range of conditions, including dyslexia and other Specific Learning Difficulties, mental health conditions and physical disabilities.

  If you're not sure whether you qualify for support, contact our Student Support Team: student.support@stcg.ac.uk. See our DSA page for details.

   

• 4. Accommodation
  
  If you're moving into new accommodation then make sure you have finalised your arrangements before you arrive.

  The College doesn’t own its own accommodation, however there are a number of accommodation providers locally – see our Accommodation page for details.

   

• 5. International Students
  
  If you are an international student (Non-UK/EU/EEA/Swiss) then you'll need a visa to study at Kingston. See our International student pages for further details.

   

• 6. Budgeting
  
  You will find it useful to know how and when your maintenance loan payments come in, so that you can plan ahead for travel, food and other expenses.

  Some students choose to take a part-time job when studying – if you do, please ensure that you leave yourself enough time to study, complete assignments – and of course, socialise!

   

• 7. Enrolment – First Part
  
  You will be required to complete the first part of your enrolment online. When this is open, you will be sent detailed instructions on how to do so by email.

  Make sure that you regularly check your junk/spam folder in case it’s been diverted from your inbox.

   

• 8. Medical
  
  If you’re not already registered with a local GP, dentist, opticians etc. you may wish to do so.

  It’s also a good idea to make a note of your National Insurance Number, and make sure all of your vaccinations are up-to-date (the NHS recommends that new undergraduate students get the Men ACWY vaccine).

   

• 9. Insurance
  
  Check with your accommodation provider if you need to arrange contents insurance. Some providers have insurance policies that cover their students' belongings.

  Endsleigh is the recommended insurance provider of the National Union of Students and offers highly customisable policies. They also offer a policy specifically for international students.

  You can find out more about how to arrange your own contents insurance on the MoneySupermarket website. 

• 10. Local Travel
  
  You may wish to familiarise yourself with local bus routes and how to get to the nearest railway stations.

  Citymapper has a great website/app to help with this, or you can visit TfL Journey Planner for help with planning particular trip.

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