Studying at a UK university.

[ukthesis]

I know of a man in his 20s who presently works as a computer programmer in Romania, part of the EU. He wants to improve his career prospects by getting a UK university undergraduate degree in computer science.

Firstly, he has to meet the UK university entry requirements, like a good proficiency in English. His present level of English is basic. So this will need working on.

I can find him local accommodation. However, he will need finanical support from the UK government while he is here, first to learn more English. Secondly, when he is at university.

I think he would be eligible for UK student loans, but they only cover tuition fees.

So he would need to access UK state benefits while he is improving his English. (If he does not try to learn more English in Romania.) Presumably, he would have to sign on as unemployed and look for work here locally at the same time.

Then, he will need support to pay his living expenses, such as his rent, when he finally starts the university course.

Can please explain what he is entitled to in these situations from the UK government?

Thank you.

[Petaltop]

I know of a man in his 20s who presently works as a computer programmer in Romania, part of the EU. He wants to improve his career prospects by getting a UK university undergraduate degree in computer science.

Firstly, he has to meet the UK university entry requirements, like a good proficiency in English. His present level of English is basic. So this will need working on.

I can find him local accommodation. However, he will need finanical support from the UK government while he is here, first to learn more English. Secondly, when he is at university.

I think he would be eligible for UK student loans, but they only cover tuition fees.

So he would need to access UK state benefits while he is improving his English. (If he does not try to learn more English in Romania.) Presumably, he would have to sign on as unemployed and look for work here locally at the same time.

Then, he will need support to pay his living expenses, such as his rent, when he finally starts the university course.

Can please explain what he is entitled to in these situations from the UK government?

Thank you.

He will not get access to UK benefits when he arrives as the UK has stopped all that as too many doing it. Even EUs been in the UK for years are having UK benefits stopped.

The UK will not pay him benefits while he learns English. The UK will not pay him any benefits when he arrives while he looks for work anymore and he will have to claim benefits from Romania while he looks for work in the UK if he doesn't have enough money. The UK has a time limit of 6 months that he has to look for work in the UK now and after that he has no right to reside in the UK. The UK do not pay the rent of EU jobseekers looking for work anymore. The UK benefits do not pay the rent of students, even for their own citizens.

Other EU countries offer free university and maybe free language courses too. Has he looked at those to see what they would give him?

[secret.simon]

There is a demand for computer programmers in this country and many of those I have come across in my field of work have been East European (though not necessarily Romanian). It may be worth his coming here, getting a job and saving for his studies.

I did a part-time job in addition to my full-time job to save enough to do a post-grad course and I had to pay at the overseas student rate, not the home student rate. It is doable, it just depends on how badly he wants to do it.