International Students

International introductory information...
 

Canterbury College is located in the beautiful, historic cathedral city of Canterbury, England.  Canterbury College is a modern well-resourced institution offering a wide range of courses with excellent teaching staff and facilities.  At Canterbury College International students can study Further Education Courses such as  BTEC's and A levels - the equivalent to High School studies in countries such as China, USA, Canada and Japan as well as Higher Education University courses and degrees.  All Higher Education courses are offered in partnership with three local universities and include courses such as BA (HONS) Visual Arts, BA (HONS) Creative Music Production and Technology, AUTOCAD, HNC in Electrical/Electronic Engineering and many more. The full course guide is available online.

Canterbury is a popular place to study for UK and International students.  There are excellent road, rail and bus links from the city. London and Paris are only two hours away by train. The ferry ports of Dover and Ramsgate are only 30 minutes away and link Canterbury to France, Belguim and Holland. The Student Union arranges subsidised European and UK trips.

The College campus is in the heart of the city. There is a lovely mix of the old and the new with modern shopping facilities and the stunning Canterbury Cathedral. Not far from Canterbury are the seaside towns of Whitstable and Herne Bay and miles of countryside where students can take up outdoor pursuits or water sports.

Are you an International Student?

 To be considered an International Student means to be normally resident, a passport holder or citizen of a country outside the UK, EU and EEA.

Some students who live outside the UK hold British passports and are generally classed as Home Students. However, even for these students there is a residency requirement. For an HE student to be classed as a Home Student and therefore subject to the lower tuition fees or for FE students on some courses for their costs to be covered, the student will be required to have lived in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man (or other EU countries) for the three years immediately before the start of the academic year in which the course begins, for reasons other than wholly or mainly receiving full time education and they must be living in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland (or other EU countries)on the first day of the academic year.

On this date the student must also have settled status - which means they must be settled in the UK within the meaning of the Immigration Act of 1971. (i.e. British or EU passport holder)

If a student was away from the country because they or their family was temporarily employed abroad, they may be treated as if their residence in the UK had not been interrupted. For further information see the DIUS website on:
http://direct.gov.uk/studentfinance

The Local Authority will decide if a student meets the ordinary residence requirement to qualify for student loans to pay towards tuition fees and living costs (for HE students). For FE students usually aged 16-18, in order to qualify for no fee status they must also be classed as Home Students or will be required to pay International Student Fees.

STUDENT SUPPORT

Canterbury College has a modern library, multi-faith meeting room, computer suites, cafes, an active Student Union and a Student Information Centre which offers guidance, careers advice, CV writing, and health advice among many other excellent services provided by the Personal Advisors. Each student is also assigned a Personal Tutor on their course to support their studies and ensure progress. There is also an English Lab that offers a free drop-in service for International students. This service aids students with their research, essay writing, vocabulary, grammar and general English language needs.

LEISURE ACTIVITIES

The College has a well-equipped sports hall  with scheduled exercise activities and a well equiped gym for workouts.  The Student Union offers subsidised trips to see sporting events, musical bands, theatre, historical sites and other EU cities.

ACCOMMODATION

The College will arrange Homestays or Private Rented Accommodation for International students. There are very limited Halls of Residence rooms. An application for accommodation needs to be made when applying for a course.

ENGLISH LESSONS

International students can further their English language skills while studying for their degree by taking English lessons at the on-campus Essential Skills Centre. Qualifications in English can be obtained which will aid job searches at home or in the UK. Alternatively, as mentioned previously, the Higher Education Department offers its HE students the free language lab, once a week on a drop in basis.

To apply for a College course, extra English language lessons and accommodation follow the COURSE link at the top of this page. Applications need to be made as early as possible to facilitate VISA requirements.

If you need further information contact: