Not necessarily. UK education represents brilliant value for money. In the long run, it is often cheaper to study in the UK. The annual cost of a course can sometimes be more in the UK than elsewhere but the courses are more extensive and are of shorter duration. They are cost effective, and you can get onto the job market sooner and recover the money you have invested in your education.

No health care charges in the UK, there is no need to include health insurance in your budget. As long as your course exceeds six months, international students are entitled to free hospital treatment plus reduced dentist's & optician's fees through the UK National Health Service (NHS).

Discounts for students: With a student identity card, you can also enjoy discounts on everything from food to theatre tickets, courtesy of your free National Union of Students (NUS)

You can earn extra money by working part-time, for up to 20 hours per week during term time and full time, 40 hours per week during your vacations.

There might be a possibility of studying part of your programme in Sri Lanka and only having to do one year in the UK making the cost of obtaining a UK qualification cheaper. To find out more visit our UK qualification in Sri Lanka page.

This will vary according to where in the UK you decide to study. It is more expensive to live in London and the south east of England. The lowest living costs are generally found in the north of England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

Average cost of liing for a typical student 2005/2006:

			London and south east of England: £7,300 + (9 month academic year)
			other areas outside London: £5,936+ (9 month academic year)

They include basic living costs (accommodation, energy bills, food, daily travel) and other necessary expenses (books, equipment and other study expenses, clothing, leisure, incidental personal expenses) for a nine-month academic year. Expenditure for a longer period would be proportionately more.

'Overseas' fees for an international student can range from £5,000 to £20,000 per year depending on the institution, the level and the type of course. Please refer Fees for details.

Institutions give details of the fees they charge on their websites. You should contact the institution you have applied to in order to find out exactly how much you will have to pay.

Click here (please check link) for a list of university (higher education) and further education websites.

In the case of further education institutions and some higher education institutions, a payment is often required in advance. Generally 1/3 or 1/2 of the tuition fees. You will only receive an unconditional acceptance for the course once the required payment is made to the institution.

Other higher education institutions may give you two options:

			to pay in full on registration in the UK
			to pay in two to three instalments within the duration of the academic year (First instalment falling due on registration).Please note that there may be an accumulated interest payment

Only certain categories of students will be charged the 'home' fee. Broadly speaking they are:

			persons who have permanent residence in the UK and have been resident in the UK for the last three years
			EEA migrant workers and their families in the UK who have lived in the EEA for the last three years
			EU nationals and their children who have lived in the EEA for the last three years
			refugees (recognised by the UK government) and their families and
			persons who applied for asylum and have been granted exceptional leave to enter/remain, and their families

To see if you fall into any of these categories, download the UKCOSA Guidance Note 'Fees and Student Support'. To view and print these documents you will need an Acrobat Reader.

It is also possible that some UK institutions might be a little more flexible and we encourage students to contact institutions directly.

The British Council in Sri Lanka offers few scholarships of its own these days. Most of the awards on offer are made as part of specific projects of which the training is an integral component. The only scholarship offered for Sri Lankans through the British Council is the British Chevening scholarship for postgraduate study in the UK.

Visit our Education UK website - scholarships section for more information on other scholarship schemes for postgraduate study and scholarships available for undergraduate study in UK for international students. For further information please contact the Education Services, Sri Lanka.