survival guide

Apply for your passport How to take your passport photos Open a student bank account Other Students’ experiences Apply for a student loan How to save your money Apply for a Driver’s licence Top London Universities

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Where to Start Once you are officially a British Citizen, you can apply for your first British Passport. Recently, laws have changed and you will now need to attend an interview to verify your identity. Details about booking an interview will be sent to you after you application has been received by the Identity and Passport Service (IPS). IPS recommend you allow up to six weeks to obtain a new passport, and not to book any other travel arrangements until the new passport is received. Once you have received your application form, it might be helpful to have someone near you when you are filling it, just to make sure it is all correct.

Application Form If you are 16 years and over and applying for a British Passport, you should fill in the Form C1. You can get an application form using the following methods: • Collect a form from selected Post

Office branches. Look on a map to see where your nearest post office is

• Fill in the online application form requesting to receive a form in the post

• Call the 24hour Passport Adviceline on 0870 521 0410

• Go online and submit your details using the online application form at www.passport.go.uk/ passport_online.asp

British passports may be issued to people holding any of the various forms of British nationality, and are used as

evidence of the bearer's nationality and immigration status within the United Kingdom. In the UK, British passports are issued by the Identity and Passport Service. It is quite a long process, so make sure you do further research as to how to apply. We recommend that you pay a small fee and get your local Post Office to check it. This will save you time and money if you have made any errors in your application as they will simply change it there and then for you. If you sent it off with an error on it, they will send it back to you and you have to do it all over again!

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If you fill in your form online, you get the benefit of interactive help. Once you’ve submitted you details online, the form is printed and sent to you. All you need to do then is attach your supporting documents and submit your application!

Passport Fees There is unfortunately a fee of £70 when you submit your application, which is an increase of £5.50 from last year.

Lost or Stolen Passports We understand that passports may get lost or stolen, and there are ways you can replace your passport. However, it may take an quite a long time and can cost up to £112! That’s even more than applying for your first passport. That’s why we recommend that you try to avoid taking your passport out with you, for example to use as a form of ID. Here’s what to do if your passport is lost or stolen: • Report it to the police immediately. Passports are often sold on to

people and so it is essential you let the police know so they are aware. • You need to fill in the standard IPS form (details of how you get one is

to the left of this page). • Remember to attach the Lost or Stolen (LS01) Notification form. You

can get this form from your Post Office, your local police station or the IPS Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000

If you need a replacement urgently, this will unfortunately cost you more, yet it will arrive within one week. First you should call the IPS Passport Adviceline 0300 222 0000 to make an appointment at a Regional Passport Office.

What the inside cover of your British Passport will look like once you

receive it in the post

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Meet the Requirements If you are taking your own passport photos, make sure that you meet these specific requirements. Tick them off as you go along, so you

Two by two inches in size

In full colour

Taken in the last six months and reflecting your current appearance

No hats, scarves or headgear that will obscure the hairline

Between one inch and one and threeeighths inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head

Usually people use a photo booth to have their passport photos printed, as

they are printed the right size and have the correct lighting.

However, they can be quite expensive, at a minimum price of £3.50 for four photos. Therefore if you want to take them yourself, make sure you meet all the requirements on this page. Remember, if you are taking the photos yourself, they must be printed on a digital printer and of a high quality. If not, then they may be returned and you will have to retake them.

No tinted lenses (unless medically required)

No uniforms (unless religious and worn daily)

If you normally wear eye glasses, a wig or a hearing aid, do wear those for your photo

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Guidelines Follow these tips to make sure your photos are suitable: • Head should be positioned

facing the camera • Eyes should be open and

looking directly at the camera • Background should be plain

white • Lighting should be adjusted to

avoid shadows on the face or background

• A natural expression is encouraged

• Hair must be kept off the face

Frequently Asked Questions 1. How many passport photos are required to be submitted with

the passport application? Two (2) identical photos must be submitted.

2. Are photos that are copied from recent driver licenses or other official documents acceptable? No, only original photographs are acceptable. In addition, photos must not be retouched to alter the customer's appearance in any way.

3. What pose should the photos show? The photo should show a clear, front view, full face of the customer. The customer’s expression should be natural, looking directly ahead. Normal, unexaggerated smiles are acceptable, but unusual expressions and squinting are not. Photos in which the face of the person being photographed is not in focus will not be accepted.

The measurements and positioning of how your face should be when taking

your passport photos

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I know what you’re thinking. “Where do I start?” There are so many banks out there

claiming to be the perfect one, but which one do you choose? The

most important advice is to make sure you do your research. Every bank offers a different deal, with both its benefits and unfortunately drawbacks. You’ll be very lucky to find a bank that offers you everything you want, but I promise that you will find one that’s close enough...

Lloyds TSB • Up to £1,500

tiered interest free planned overdraft to help you stay in control

• A Lloyds TSB Visa debit card to use at home or abroad

• Internet banking and Phonebank, so you can get access 24 Hours a day, seven days a week

• Free NUS Extra card, so that you can receive discounts on your favourite brands

• 35 free music downloads from eMusic

• The option to sign up for Save the Change™, which makes saving effortless, by helping you save every time you use your Visa debit card

Visit: www.lloydstsb.com

HSBC • Up to

£2,000 interest free overdraft, no overdraft fees and overdraft limit alerts at HSBC cash machines

• Two years free worldwide travel insurance

• Access to your cash wherever you are – get local currency at over a million cash machines worldwide

• CDWOW get chart CDs from £7.49

• Free TalkMobile SIM card with £5 preloaded credit and free calls to HSBC telephone banking wherever you are, 24 hours a day

• Inbranch Student Advisors Visit: www.hsbc.co.uk

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Halifax • An interest

free overdraft of up to £3,000 for up to five years – plus an extra year after you graduate

• You'll automatically get a £500 interestfree overdraft when you open your account and then you can apply for more if and when you need it

• Commissionfree foreign currency and traveller's cheques so you've more spending money for your summer holiday

• A 25% discount on AA breakdown cover – for peace of mind when you're driving home for the weekend or taking a road trip. Every penny counts!

Visit: www.halifax.co.uk

Barclays • Exclusive

Orange mobile broadband offer

• £2,000 interestfree overdraft • Apply to extend your overdraft

up to £3,000 at a rate of 8.9% EAR

• There’s a branch within 1.5 miles of 94% of the UK’s top universities

• Withdraw up to £300 worth of cash each day

• Top up your mobile phone at our cash machines

• Online and telephone banking • Use your VISA debit cards

overseas

Visit: www.barclays.co.uk

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“Opening a student bank account was extremely confusing! You have all these

different banks, and they are all made out to sound perfect! You need to make sure you do your research, and make sure the bank you do decide to go with is the right one for you. I personally chose HSBC, simply because there was a HSBC bank on my campus, and this made life a whole lot easier for me. It also gave me a £2,000 interest free overdraft, which made this the perfect choice for me!”

“Before opening my bank account, I knew exactly what I wanted from it. I needed a large interest free overdraft, yet I also needed to be able to check my balance whenever I wanted to on my mobile, as I am constantly travelling. Lloyds TSB offered me both of these, plus benefits such as a free NUS Extra card and a

Lloyds TSB debit card to use at home or abroad. They also gave me 35 free music downloads, which I feel made this bank an easy winner!

But Remember… These students did their research and found the right bank accounts for them. It is a very personal decision, and you need to make sure it is the right one for you. Make sure you have enough information before you make your decision.

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If you’re starting a fulltime course in 2010/11, apply for finance as soon as possible to

make sure it’s ready for when you start. If you’re going into higher

education, you can get financial support from the government. Also, make sure you have a parent or guardian with you at the time you are applying, as this will make it a lot easier for you. They will need to fill in sections and enter details that you probably will not know.

Help for FullTime Students If you’re studying fulltime, the main sources of help are: • student loans and grants from

the government • bursaries from your university or

college

Student Loans from the Government All eligible students can get help with tuition fees and living cost through student loans. You’ll be able to take out two student loans per academic year: • a Tuition Fee Loan to cover

your tuition fees in full • a Maintenance Loan to help

with accommodation and other living costs (how much you get depends on your household income)

Repaying Student Loans Student loans have to be paid back we’re afraid. But don’t worry! You don’t have to start making repayments until you’ve left your course and are earning over £15,000! Once your earnings reach this threshold, you’ll pay back 9% of whatever you earn over £15,000. If you’re due to start paying back your student loans from April 2012, you’ll have the option of taking a one or twoyear repayment break.

Bursaries Bursaries are an additional source of help from your university or college. Institutions in England must offer at least a minimum bursary payment if you’re paying maximum tuition fees and getting the full Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant. Grants and bursaries don’t have to be repaid. 12

PartTime Students Fee Grant and Course Grant The main sources of financial help for parttime students are usually different from those available to full time students. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to apply for the parttime Fee Grant and Course Grant. How much you can get depends on your household income and personal circumstances.

Governmentfunded Help The main sources of government funded help for lower income part time students are: • the Fee Grant to help with

tuition fees • the Course Grant to help with

study costs, such as books, materials and travel

The maximum Fee Grant you can get is based on how ‘intensive’ your course is. For the most intensive courses, the maximum available through the Fee Grant and Course Grant combined is £1,470 for 2009/10, or £1,495 for 2010/11. Any help you get through the Fee Grant or Course Grant doesn’t have to be paid back.

Applying for the Fee Grant and Course Grant You’ll need to make a separate application for each academic year, using the application form for part time student finance (PTG1). You can find these application forms online at this address: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/ EducationAndLearning/ This website will help you through your application from, making sure that all sections are completed.

What to do with your completed form Fill in the form and take it with you to your college or university when you start your course. The administration office will complete the rest of the form confirming that you’re a student there You'll then need to send the form to Student Finance England.

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Follow these tips to make sure you make the most of your money!

A driver’s licence is an official document allowing you to

drive a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck or bus.

You can receive your driver’s licence after you have successfully passed your driver’s test. You need a Provisional Licence first though, so make sure you apply for one of those! You can apply for one when you turn 17 years old.

Your Provisional Licence Before you can learn to drive a car, you must apply for a provisional driving licence. You can apply at the age of 17 either online or getting a form from your local Post Office. The form you need to fill in is called the D1, along with documentation confirming your identity, a passport style colour photograph and the fee of £50.00. Send your completed application and payment to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AD. You should receive your provisional licence within three weeks.

Driver’s Test This driver’s test consists of three parts: • Multiple choice theory test • Hazard perception test • The practical test

You must pass all three sections to be able to obtain a licence.

How to improve your driving Here are some tips as to how to help improve your driving skills: • Steer smoothly at all times • Accelerate smoothly. Don’t race

the engine or make it stall • Stop the vehicle gently. Start

braking well ahead of where you must stop to avoid sudden “jerks.” Know where to stop. Be aware of crosswalks. If your view is blocked at a crosswalk, move forward carefully and look both ways before entering the intersection

• Always obey the posted speed limits

• Follow at a safe distance. Use the three second rule

• Don’t panic and remain calm

• Know what the traffic signals mean and obey them at all times

• Always use the correct lane • Signal for all lane changes and

turns • Always look for potential hazards

(scan). Check your mirrors frequently.

• Drive defensively. Anticipate another driver’s errors

And most of all, stay calm and try not to be nervous. You examiner wants you to pass.

Replacing your licence Many students use their provisional licence as a form of ID. However, it means that there is a risk it could get lost or stolen. If you lose your licence, you can replace it either by applying: • Online using the Driver and

Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) secure online service

• By post, by getting a form from your local post office

• By telephone on 08007906801. If you need to renew your photo as well, You can do so at any time, however, if your photo is due to expire very soon, it’ll need to be renewed before the date of expiry.

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Remember, this list of Universities should just be used to help you make your final decision. It normally

changes every year, and some Universities specialise in specific subjects, for example Brunel may be number eight overall, yet it is ranked fifth in the entire country for Engineering. Therefore it is essential that you also look at where the course for the University you are applying to is ranked as well.

Imperial College Tel: 0207 594 8014

Email: [email protected]

University College London Tel: 0207 679 3000

Email: Contact via website

London School of Economics Tel: 020 7955 7125


King’s College London Tel: 020 7836 5454


Royal Holloway Tel: 01784 434455


Queen Mary London Tel: 020 7882 5555

Email: education[email protected]

Goldsmith’s College Tel: 020 7919 7766


Brunel Tel: 01895 265265


City Tel: 0207 040 5060


Kingston Tel: 020 8547 2000 Email: admissions [email protected]

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Living in London To live in London is to experience one of the great cities of the world. Yet, for many students considering university in London, worries about the cost of living and studying may deter them from choosing to study here. Although it is a fact that studying in London can be more expensive than in some other parts of the UK, the true picture is often exaggerated. London is the most cost effective place to study. According to a recent survey, with almost half of students in higher education employed for an average of 16 hours a week, the average hourly rate of pay in London is £8.67 compared with £6.02 nationally.

UCAS UCAS is a clearing house for applications to almost all fulltime undergraduate degree programmes at UK Universities and Colleges. As nearly all British higher education institutions are members of UCAS, all those wishing to study for undergraduate degrees in the UK must apply through UCAS. This applies to all categories of applicants UK residents, residents of the Channel Islands and Isle of Man, European Union citizens, and other international applicants. Applicants submit a single application via UCAS's website with a list of up to five courses for which they are applying, in no order of preference. All five choices are confidential during the application process so universities and colleges considering an application cannot see any of the candidate's other choices. Applications must be completed by the middle of the January of the year that the

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survival guide

Documents

inside cover

british passport