1. www.swansea.ac.uk
Pre-arrival briefing for
international students
2013-2014

2. www.swansea.ac.uk
Questions for you to consider
•Your studies
•Immigration
•Accommodation
•Registering as a student
•Schooling for children
•Money
•Travelling to Swansea
•Health
•Cultural differences

3. www.swansea.ac.uk
Your studies
• Understand your offer letter – Unconditional or Conditional
• Unconditional – accept the offer and apply for a visa.
• You will be e-mailed a Confirmation of Acceptance of
Studies (CAS) – use this to apply for a visa
• Conditional – accept the offer and meet the conditions,
eg. English Language test, references, original certificates.
• Send required information to
admissions-enquiries@swansea.ac.uk

4. www.swansea.ac.uk
Paying fees
• Pay £2000 deposit to secure your CAS
• Full tuition fee payment by 4 Oct 2013 = 2% discount
• 50% minimum fee payment by 4 Oct 2013 (to enrol)
• £100 accommodation deposit to secure University housing
• Payment by credit card will incur 1.5% charge
If you have paid a deposit or some of your tuition fees before your
CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies) is emailed to you,
the payment will be shown on your CAS statement
• Payment methods information here:
www.swan.ac.uk/international/students/induction/pay-fees/

5. www.swansea.ac.uk
Immigration
Apply for a visa now!
Detailed advice is available at:
http://www.swan.ac.uk/isas/immigration/applying-for-a-visa
• Make sure you have all the required documents
• Make sure your documents are in the required format

6. www.swansea.ac.uk
Registering/enrolling as a student
• When does your course start? 23 September 2013 or earlier in
some cases – check your offer letter.
• When is Orientation / Induction? 20 – 22 September 2013
Bring with you:
• Original academic and other certificates
• References
• Minimum of 10 passport-size photos
• Sponsorship letter (if appropriate)
• Tuition fee payment not in cash
See details of enrolment at http://www.swansea.ac.uk/Enrolment/

7. www.swansea.ac.uk
Accommodation
•University accommodation –
www.swansea.ac.uk/accommodation/
•Private sector accommodation:
http://www.swan.ac.uk/accommodation/saslettings/
•When you arrive, you may need temporary housing:
http://www.swan.ac.uk/accommodation/a-z/
(See Bed and Breakfast list)

8. www.swansea.ac.uk
Schooling for children
• Children aged up to 16 are educated for free in state
schools if a parent studies here for more than six
months
• Campus nursery run by Students’ Union:
www.swansea-union.co.uk/
• Advice for parents available at:
www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=5738
Nearest schools to campus - Brynmill Primary School,
Bishop Gore & Olchfa Secondary School
• Contact isas@swansea.ac.uk for more advice

9. www.swansea.ac.uk
Money
• Bring enough money with you for immediate needs – at least
£500
• Travellers cheques and/or credit/debit card are safer than
cash
• To bring large amounts of funds, it is safest to get a (sterling)
Bank Draft in your name. You can bank this into your UK bank
account when you arrive
• Open a bank account as soon as you arrive in the UK. You
will need a letter from the University to do this
•Insure your belongings before you travel

10. www.swansea.ac.uk
Estimated costs of living
Accommodation, meals, local travel, personal expenses, utility
bills, books, etc. estimated between £6000 and £9000 (over 40
weeks term time). However you need to show you have funds
of £7200 for your visa application.
Details available here:
http://www.swan.ac.uk/isas/finance/costofliving/

11. www.swansea.ac.uk
Travelling to Swansea
• Meet and Greet
1. London Heathrow Airport 20 and 21 September 2013
See http://www.swan.ac.uk/isas/pre-arrival/
2. Swansea bus and train station 20 and 21 September 2013
• Independent travel
1. See http://www.swan.ac.uk/isas/handbook - Getting Here (from our
handbook) for travel advice
2. Arrive in Swansea in office hours 0900 – 1700 if possible.
3. If you arrive outside office hours, let your accommodation contact know
when to expect you.
4. If you arrive before 20 September you will probably need to book your
own temporary accommodation outside the University

12. www.swansea.ac.uk
Health
• You can use the National Health Service free of charge if you
are studying here for more than six months
•You may have a health check or X-ray on arrival at airport
•Take out health insurance if you want to cover repatriation or
critical illness

13. www.swansea.ac.uk
Cultural differences
• Be prepared for cultural differences and culture shock:
See the Culture Shock section in our Handbook for
useful advice http://www.swan.ac.uk/isas/handbook/
• Talk to others who have lived in the UK
• Be open-minded and ready to talk about differences

14. www.swansea.ac.uk
Further help
If you have any questions –
Check the International Students’ Handbook at
www.swan.ac.uk/isas/handbook/ or
send an e-mail to isas@swansea.ac.uk
We look forward to welcoming you to Swansea soon!