Planning your finances

As part of your Student Visa application, you’ll need to show that you have enough money to live in the UK, you will be asked to prove that you have:

• Enough money to pay for your course for 1 academic year (up to 9 months). Find out how to pay your tuition fees.
• £1,136 per month (for up to 9 months) to show you can support yourself and afford to live in the UK'

The British Council can give you information about available financial support. It’s best to research this well in advance, as some financial support can take over a year to apply for.

Bringing money into the UK

Although the British Government places no limit on the amount of money you can bring into the UK, there may be restrictions from your home country.

If your Government limits the amount of money you can take out, you should arrange to have the money transferred to the UK from your overseas bank several months before starting your course.

Please note that you can only transfer money to the University's bank account for payment of tuition or accommodation fees, not for personal use.

Before travelling to the UK, you must:

• Check whether you need permission to transfer money to the UK
• Obtain permission to transfer money if required
• Deposit enough money in your bank at home for transfer to the UK to cover tuition and accommodation fees, and living expenses.

How much do you need to live in the UK?

When you first arrive in Birmingham, our Orientation Programme will discuss money management and give you tips on budgeting while living and studying in the UK.

In addition to tuition fees, you'll need living expenses to cover accommodation, food, travel, books, and stationery.

If you are an international student, you will require a Student Visa (there are some exceptions). UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires you to have at least £9,207 in your personal bank account for 28 days before submitting your application. Please note that on or after 2 January 2025, the minimum UKVI maintenance level will increase to £10,224.

This figure estimates your essential living costs during the first nine months of your studies, which covers most expenses after tuition fees. The amount you'll need depends on your chosen accommodation and lifestyle.

In addition to fees, you will probably need to buy books and equipment for your course. You may be allowed to seek work, and our Careers Service can help you find part-time and vacation jobs. You should not rely on your part-time job to pay your tuition fees or living costs.

Weekly cost of living as a student in the UK

Each student will spend a different amount each week, but here's a guide to what you can expect to spend in a week as a student in the UK.

Opening a bank account

As an international student, you'll usually be offered a bank current account with a cash card to withdraw cash from ATMs. 

Having a UK bank account is essential if you're studying in the UK for more than six months.  We recommend considering what each bank can offer before selecting an account.

Top tip: Banks are usually open between 09:00 and 17:00 on weekdays and 09:30 and 12:00 on Saturdays. But you can use ATMs to check your balance at withdraw cash 24/7.

Documents needed to open a bank account:

• Passport
• Letter of enrolment confirming your UK and home addresses (available after enrolment from the Faculty Course Office).
• Your University unconditional offer letter, which you received at your home address (the bank is looking for evidence that the university has corresponded with you at your residence).
• Your University or private accommodation contract for your term-time accommodation.
• Please provide a recent bank or credit card statement from your home bank translated into English and containing your residential address (the statement must be less than three months old).

UK banks carefully check each application before opening an account, and you may have to wait a couple of weeks for your account to be opened.

Because of this, we suggest you bring around £300 in cash and a further £300 in traveller cheques to cover you for the first month.

We also strongly advise students to take out travel insurance in case you lose any money or personal documents or face travel delays.

If you're bringing a banker's draft with you, it should be in sterling and drawn on a UK bank so that you can avoid unnecessary delays in accessing your money.

Keeping your money safe

Birmingham City University is aware of fraudulent activity at universities across the country where a third party fraudulently offers to pay a student’s fees on their behalf at a discounted rate.

Once this fraudulent third party receives the money from the student, they then use stolen credit cards to attempt to pay off fees to the University. As these payments will be rejected, this leaves the student's fees unpaid but their money still in the hands of the third party fraudster.

Students should only pay their fees through a method approved by the University and must let the University know if their fees are being paid by an official sponsor or other funder.

If students are concerned they may be the victim of this fraud they should contact the University.

How you can protect yourself from fraud:

• Avoid individuals or companies advertising fee payment services, especially if they are offering a discount; if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and yet their illegal activity will likely be up to you to resolve as you will be liable and more often than not left out of pocket.
• Do not share your University student payment account details with anyone and regularly change your password.
• Check your account frequently to ensure that you recognise all transactions being made.

Further advice on fraud protection is available from the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).