WHY STUDY WITH US
Moving from your comfort zone to study with LSME in London will be like studying in a home away from home. Our student support mechanism is robust and exemplary as alluded to by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in the UK. So rest assured that we will make you feel at home, and support you in every step of your academic journey with us.
We support you throughout the application process.
We help you to settle down in London and include finding suitable accommodation.
We support you to find work placement during your studies if you are studying on courses with mandatory 18 hour weekly work experience such as the accelerated degrees in Health and Social Care Management and International Tourism and Hospitality Management courses.
We provide English language support through our study skills sessions and one-to-one tutorials.
After the successful completion of your studies, international students are eligible to apply for a Graduate visa if they are studying one of our accelerated degree programmes. This visa allows you to stay and work in the UK for an additional two years.
LSME welcomes students from all countries of the world. It is important that, if you are considering studying with us, you follow the correct immigration procedure for the UK. All students requiring admission to LSME must be: Be over 18 years of age at the time of application.You must be competent in English Language at a competency level permitted by the UKVI meet all other requirements under the student route of the Points Based System (PBS-Tier 4) of the UKVI.
You can also apply via the UCAS application system https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-to-university.
ADMISSION PROCESS
1. Documents you must submit with the application
After completing the application form, you must submit the following documents as part of the application process. All documents must be emailed to us via admissions@lsme.ac.uk . This is to enable us issue the Confirmation of Acceptance to Study (CAS) letter.
2. English Language requirement for international students
If you are an international student and will require a Student Visa in order to stay in the UK, you will have to pass an approved Secure English Language Test in your home country and present this evidence with your application documents. Prospective international students who are applying for courses at RQF levels 4 and 5 which are below degree level must ensure they are competent in the English language at a minimum level B1 on the Common European Framework for languages (CEFR). This is equivalent to an IELTS for UKVI Test score of 5.0 (Listening: 5.0; Speaking: 5.0; Reading: 5.0; Writing: 5.0).
Prospective international students applying for a course at a degree level must demonstrate an English language efficiency at a minimum Level B2 on CEFR. This is equivalent to IELTS for UKVI Test Score of 5.5 (Listening: 5.5; Speaking: 5.5 Reading: 5.5; Writing: 5.5).
Students applying either for the Masters level programmes or for the QCF level 5 Diploma in Education and Training must achieve an overall IELTS for UKVI Test Score of 6.0 with a minimum of 6.0 in either Reading, Listening, Speaking or Writing.
Exemptions
You do not need to prove your knowledge of English if you have completed a qualification equivalent to a UK degree in: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, and USA.
You also do not need to prove your knowledge of English if one of the following apply:
You are a national of Canada or Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, USA.
You have studied in the UK before as a Tier 4 (Child) student.
You are applying to come to the UK for a study abroad programme as part of a university degree course in the USA.
You obtained your entry qualification in the UK within two years of applying for a qualification with LSME.
3. Application processing
This policy outlines the processing of all applications submitted to the School. The admission team checks the application pack ensuring that all relevant documents are enclosed and all requirements are satisfied. The admission team will also perform the following checks on the applicant’s qualifications:
The Admissions Team will then make three possible decisions:
4. Interview
The admissions team will arrange a time and date with the candidate to carry out an interview if you have met the minimum entry requirement and English language requirement for your chosen course.
The interviewer will assess if:
An online interview will be arranged for international students who are abroad. Otherwise, all interviews will be conducted face-to-face. The interviewers will complete a checklist when making decisions on applicants. The checklist records the details of what was discussed, work experience, personal interest, attendance, work placement arrangements, dependents, child care arrangements and general comments.
Online interviews
LSME will organise a venue and time for your interview.
The interview will be recorded and saved to a secure server as evidential proof.
Face-to-face interview
In-country applicants will be interviewed face-to-face in our main campus on Cranbrook road.
5. Decision
The admission team will make a decision on whether to admit the applicant. There are three possible outcomes:
i. Conditional Offer – The team believes that you are ready to start on the chosen course provided certain conditions are met. These conditions can include passing a pre-sessional course in English to move your proficiency in English from CEFR Level B1 to B2 or submitting additional documents. When the conditions are met, the unconditional offer letter will be issued. The terms and conditions developed in line with the guidelines from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will be made clear to you in your conditional offer letter.
ii. Unconditional Offer – The team is satisfied that you are ready to start on your chosen course having met all the relevant conditions. You will be issued an unconditional offer letter. The offer letters will include a statement on the chosen programme, start date, and finish date, awarding body, place of study, tuition fee, mode of study together with the student contract terms and conditions if this was not issued initially.
iii. Rejection – The team is not satisfied with your ability to successfully study on your chosen course. The Admissions team will indicate the reason for the decision (e.g. academic grades too low, course not suitable or team is not convinced of the applicant’s intention to study and comply with relevant requirements etc.). A member of the admission team will convey the decision of rejection to the applicant. An applicant could however be offered further advice on alternative courses that may be suitable for their circumstances. If the applicant has listed other course choices, the application may be considered for the next choice of course.
6. Acceptance
Applicants must read the terms and conditions and accept or reject any offer within two weeks of receiving the offer letter.
7. Payment of Tuition Fees
International students who require a Student visa in order to study in the UK must pay a minimum of 50% of their tuition fee for the first year of their study within 2 weeks of accepting the offer. A payment plan will be agreed for the rest of the tuition fee which must be settled within 3 months of the course start date.
PAYMENT OF TUITION FEES
International students who require a Tier 4 visa in order to study in the UK must pay a minimum of 50% of their tuition fee for the first year of their study within 2 weeks of accepting the offer. A payment plan will be agreed for the rest of the tuition fee which must be settled on the first day of the course start date.
MAINTENANCE COST
International students must demonstrate they have enough money for the living expenses for the duration of their stay in UK for up to 9 months, unless you’ve been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months on the date of your application. It is estimated that the monthly living expenses in London is £1,334 per calendar month.
CONFIRMATION OF ACCEPTANCE TO STUDY (CAS)
A Confirmation of Acceptance to Study (CAS) letter will be issued for international students who require a student visa to study in the UK, after payment of the tuition fee in full or the initial 50% deposit and have shown evidence of adequate funding for their maintenance while in UK. Those who have paid a 50% tuition fee deposit must also show evidence of the remainder of the tuition in addition to the maintenance cost.
The evidence of adequate funding could be in the form of recent bank statements or payslips of the applicant or that of their sponsors.
Further details will be found in the next section on ‘Applying for Your Visa’.
APPLY FOR STUDENT VISA
If you are an international student, you will need a student visa to study with LSME.
The UKVI’s Points-Based System (PBS) has made the student visa process a lot smoother and more predictable than before. Student visa applications are now assessed using points.
Student route points are shown below:
Points type | Relevant requirements to be met | Number of points |
Student | Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies requirement. Course requirement. Approved qualification requirement. Level of study requirement. Place of study requirement. | 50 |
Financial | Financial requirement £1,334 for each calendar month of the course. £12,006 (£1,334/month up to a maximum of 9 months). Plus £845 per dependent per month for up to 9 months (if applicable). | 10 |
English Language | English Language requirement | 10 |
Through this route, you need to demonstrate that you meet the required 70 points, by ensuring that you have been offered a place on a course and have been issued with a CAS letter (50 points), providing the evidence that you have access to your full tuition fee and living expenses in London for up to a maximum of 9 months (10 points) and demonstrate that you can understand, speak, read and write English (10 points).
There are strict guidelines on sources and evidence of funds that are permissible by the UKVI. Some of the approved sources and evidence of funds for your course includes:
For more information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-points-based-immigration-system-further-details-statement/uk-points-based-immigration-system-further-details-statement
This means you must have:
Applying from inside the UK
If you are on student visa, you must meet the academic progression requirements in order to extend your stay in the UK to undertake a further study. If you have previously gained a degree in the UK, the LSME will need to verify that the course you are entering represents academic progression. We may not be able to issue you a CAS if you have applied to do a course at the same academic level as the one that you have already successfully completed in the UK unless you can demonstrate that it is necessary for your specialisation in a specific area.
If you are applying to continue your studies in the UK or you are switching into the Student route from another Points Based System (PBS) route these guidelines will be relevant to you. First and foremost, your new programme must start within 28 days of the expiry of your permission to stay or, if you overstayed, within 28 days of when that period of overstaying began.
Your application must be submitted before the expiry of your previous period of leave. All applications for a further leave to remain require that you are not in breach of immigration laws in the UK. There are limited exceptions relating to overstaying previous conditions and any period of overstaying will not count against you were either of these conditions apply:
On the other hand, if your course has ended and you are applying from inside the UK to extend your stay, you should apply in the last three months of your permission to stay if possible.
For further information on how to apply for your Student Visa, please refer to the guidance notes on https://www.gov.uk/study-uk-student-visa
Supporting documents for the visa application
You will need the following documents to apply for your visa:
* You may be exempt under specific conditions outlined by the UKVI. Further information on the tuberculosis certificate can also be found below.
You many need to provide more documents depending on your personal circumstance. You can find additional information on your supporting document here (https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/documents-you-must-provide)
Student visa application costs
A student visa application costs £363 for a standard service (which takes approximately 15 working days) if applied for from outside the UK. However, you can opt to have a faster service for the following costs:
In addition, you will also need to pay £470 per year for the Immigration Health Surcharge as part of your visa application. This gives you access to the UK’s National Health Service on generally the same basis as a UK permanent resident.
For further information and accuracy of the fees, please visit UKVI website.
TUBERCULOSIS CERTIFICATE
International students will need to obtain a Tuberculosis certificate if you will be staying in the U.K. for over 6 months and have been present in one of the countries listed in the link below for more than six months immediately prior to your application.
For further information on TB certificate, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/tb-test-visa/countries-where- youneed-a-tb-test-to-enter-the-uk.
IMMIGRATION HEALTH SURCHARGE (IHS)
As an international students on our degree programmes, you are eligible for free NHS treatment only if you pay an Immigration Health Surcharge. The surcharge is paid as part of your visa application and costs £470 per year (This also includes £470 for each dependant, if applicable).
Further information is available on the Home Office (UKVI) website: https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application/who-needs-pay
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
1. Arriving in the UK
International Students should aim to arrive a few days before enrolment in order to familiarise themselves with the College and local surroundings and have time to rest before term begins.
Prior to your arrival in the UK, there are some essential details which have to be arranged to make your journey as worry free and easy as possible. You will need to have made arrangements for where you will be living when you arrive and also transportation from the airport upon arrival.
We can help with this but before we can do anything, we require a certain amount of important information from you. Please contact our student support team at info@lsme.ac.uk. We need to receive a request from you at least five working days prior to your arrival in the UK. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us either via email or by telephone.
2. Airport transfer
The College can arrange for students to be met at their airport of arrival. We then transfer you directly, either to your student accommodation or to your host family. An additional cost is involved for airport pickups. Airport collection varies in price according to how long you are kept in Immigration. Since the driver must be paid for his waiting time, and students are often in Immigration queues for two hours or more, it is not unusual for the final bill to be in excess of £150.
3. Police registration
If you are a national of a non-Commonwealth country, intending to stay for more than 6 months, you may have an endorsement in your passport requiring you to register with the police within seven days of your arrival in the UK. Nationals of the following countries are usually required to register with the police: Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, PR China, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Korea (North), Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Peru, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Yemen.
4. Registration with a General Practice (GP) Surgery
International students are advised to register with their local GPs as soon as they arrive in the country. GPs are your first point of contact with the NHS as they provide primary health care services to the general public. In order to do so, visit a local GP surgery in your area and enquire about the registration conditions. For further advice and guidance on how to maintain a good health and for student support in general please visit https://lsme.ac.uk/students/student-support.
5. Working during your studies
The main purpose of a Student visa under the Student route is that you come to the UK for study. For further information on your eligibility to work while studying, visit https://www.gov.uk/student-visa. Students on the accelerated degree programmes have to complete a mandatory work placement in order to fulfil the full requirement for the degree. The work placement duration is estimated as 33% of the entire duration of your course). This has been simplified as approximately 18 hours of placement per week from Term 2 to Term 7 when students will be undertaking modules with compulsory work placement.
6. Bringing your dependant(s) to the UK
You cannot bring your dependants to the UK with you or at a later date within the duration of your course if you choose to study our accelerated degree programmes. However if you are offered admission on any of our Level 7 Masters qualifications, you are allowed to bring your dependents if your course starts before January 2024. For Masters Programmes starting on or after January 2024, you are not permitted to bring your dependents.
For further information, please visit UKVI website.