Glasgow, scotland
Steps to Study Abroad at Glasgow School of Art
Visa and Travel Information
The first step in your preparation to study abroad should be to ensure you understand the correct visa status you will use while studying in the UK and how it affects travel plans.
Students that study in the UK for six months or less should enter the UK as a “Student Visitor.” Student visitor status allows you to remain in the UK for up to six months. Student visitors are not eligible to work while in the UK and you cannot extend the status beyond six months. Entering as a Student Visitor also means that you do not need to secure any type of student visa before you leave the U.S.; you simply declare your intent to be a “Student Visitor” when you go through immigration entering the UK.
The following list details the specific documents you will need to have with you when you go through UK immigration.
- Letter confirming you’ve been accepted as a student at Glasgow School of Art and confirming the institution is accredited and holds a Tier 4 Sponsor License. Glasgow School of Art will supply this letter.
- Documentation that you can financially support yourself for the length of your program. This can be in the form of scholarships, grants or other financial aid award letters as well as bank statements in your name. Bank statements should be dated no more than one calendar month before you arrive in the UK. Be prepared to demonstrate approximately £175 per week for accommodation and living expenses, £100 – £300 for studio / material costs and £300 – £800 for field trips / excursions. To check current exchange rates between the U.S. Dollar and the British Pound, please visit www.xe.com. Since exchange rates fluctuate daily it is important you review this before going through UK immigration.
- You must also be prepared to demonstrate your willingness to leave the UK once your course of study is complete. The primary way of doing so is by showing return tickets or an itinerary with your name and information on them.
- You must also present a valid U.S. Passport that will not expire while you are in the UK.
Once you show these documents to the immigration officer, you will receive a student visitor stamp/endorsement in your passport. If you travel outside the UK during your course of study, you will need to show the Immigration Officer your Student Visitor stamp/endorsement (code 5N) and the institution letter when you re-enter the UK. If you happen to plan to arrive to the UK through Ireland, you will need to actively seek out an immigration official upon your arrival in the UK to ensure that your passport is stamped with the student endorsement.
Housing
Campus Housing
Glasgow School of Art has three different student housing options: Margaret Macdonald House, Victoria Hall, and Old School House. For a comparison of the 3 housing options, please download this PDF
Housing applications can be downloaded here.
Off-Campus Housing
If you have decided not to live in the GSA’s Halls of Residence or have not been offered a place, then you may wish to look for accommodation in the Private Sector. This is usually housing rented out by independent landlords. This could mean living on your own, sharing with a number of other students, or living in the landlord's own home. Glasgow also has an excellent choice of commercially run student accommodations that you may wish to consider.
Finding somewhere to live is a combination of hard work, persistence, and determination on your part. Be prepared and plan your strategy. We can provide general information about Glasgow and some of the areas that you might consider living in. You can also read these guidelines for finding a flat.
Living in the Private Sector could mean paying Council Tax. Council Tax is a tax levied on adults for the maintenance of services offered to the public. These include: Water, road maintenance and refuse collection to name but a few.
Email welfare@gsa.ac.uk for further information.
Course Registration
You will register for your courses during orientation, which typically occurs in mid-September. More information will be included in your welcome package. GSA will be emailing shortly with more details regarding the orientation and check-in. For additional information please visit: http://www.gsa.ac.uk/gsa.cfm?pid=447
GSA Contact Info and Website
|
Claire Chidgey-Carmichael |
Kara Fogg |
Information for this packet was taken from the Glasgow School of Art Website
