Master’s degree in London (January start) for (pre-)settled EU nationals – everything you need to know

Since you’re here, you may be wondering whether it is even possible to start a Master’s degree in the UK and get funding to cover the costs of it. Our answer is: yes! As long as you’re an EU national with a (pre-)settled status and a Bachelor’s degree (from any country), you can start your postgraduate education at one of the universities in London not only in Autumn but also this January!
If you feel like it’s something you could consider, make sure you read this short article to learn more about the available options, costs, funding, the application process, entry requirements, support you can get, etc.

Why should you even consider it?

Well, a master’s degree at British universities is usually very practical and industry-oriented. It can boost your employability, give you an edge over other applicants for certain jobs and, consequently, help you increase your prospects and earnings. On the other hand, it will give you not only invaluable contacts but also the skills and knowledge that employers look for.

All you need to know about a master’s in UK

A full-time master’s degree usually takes 1 year to complete. There are some exceptions such as Physiotherapy, Dietetics, Social Work, etc. that take 2 years. However, if you’d like to have more time for work during your studies, you can choose a part-time program which takes twice as long to finish (in the case of 1-year-long full-time programmes, part-time will take 2 years then).
Also, you have to be aware of the fact that no matter which mode of study you choose, postgraduate studies in the UK are quite demanding.

Costs and funding in details

While checking pages of different universities and courses, you can see that there’s no fixed cost of education. In other words, tuition fee differs from one university to another – and from one course to another. On top of that, there are two types of fees: the higher one for EU/International students and the lower one for UK/Home.
The good news is that even if you’re an EU national, your (pre-)settled status guarantees you tuition fees for Home/UK students which usually oscillate between £8,000 – £12,000.

Available funding

Another good thing about being (pre-)settled – a student loan! Yes, the status (and lack of master’s degree) entitles you to receive government funding that will help you cover your tuition fees:

  • the amount you can get is £11,570;
  • money is transferred straight to your bank account – you can use it to pay for your course or living costs or both;
  • it is not based on your household’s income.

Repaying the student loan

It’s very simple and practical – you start repaying after you graduate from the university and only when earning over the threshold which is £403 a week or £1,750 a month. What is more, you repay 6% of what you earn above the threshold.
Example from the government website: “You’re paid weekly and your income changes each week. This week your income was £600, which is over the Postgraduate Loan weekly threshold of £403. Your income was £197 over the threshold (£600 minus £403). You will pay back £11 (6% of £197) this week.”
If you stay in the UK after graduation, you won’t have to deal with the repayments – your employer will be the one taking care of them before giving you your salary (and they’ll be the only one to know about your student loan so it won’t matter for your credit score when buying a car or a house, etc.).
Also, after 30 years, all your repayments will be cancelled.

Please, see the government website for more details.

How and when can I apply?

There’s no one particular application deadline when it comes to postgraduate studies in the UK. If you want to start studying in January, it’s good to finish your process no later than in November. If, on the other hand, you wish to start your academic year in Autumn, it’s wise not to leave things until the summer.
You have to apply to every university directly, which means that you are free to choose as many institutions as you want.

What about entry requirements?

This matter is a little bit more complicated as every university has its own requirements. There are, however, usually 4 main things you have to remember about and enclose in your application in general:

  • a scan of your Bachelor’s diploma and transcript (and if it’s not in English, you need to provide university with a scan of certified translation, too) with a grade equivalent to UK 1st (over 70%) or 2:1 (60-70%) to the best universities in the UK or with a grade 2:2 (50-60%) to all the good universities;
  • a personal statement: it’s a letter written by you and its main goal is to convice the admissions team that you are the right candidate;
  • reference letters: there are the letters written by your university tutors and/or managers/employers. Usually, there are two letters required (although sometimes only one is enough).
  • IELTS 6.5 – it’s an English language exam that you have to take to prove your command of English is at the B2 level (unless you completed your Bachelor’s degree in and English-speaking country – then you don’t have to worry about it).

Where and what can I study from January in London?

Unfortunately, not all universities have a January intake option, and when they do, the range of the courses they offer is not that wide. That is why we gathered here all the Master’s courses available with a start in January 2022 for you:

How to start?

It’s simple! Text us via Messenger (or via e-mail: [email protected] – but only on Messenger you can expect us to answer you almost instantly and have an actual conversation with you), to discuss your options, get answers to all your questions and start applying to the university of your choice!
Remember, our service is free of charge (since it is the universities that pay for our work) and you can count on us not only during the recruitment process but also later on when applying for funding etc.

#beSmart #haveProspects