I want to study in the UK, can I make an appointment to see you?

We don’t provide face-to-face counselling about education in the UK as our office is closed to the public but we do have extensive online services.

Enquiries can be sent to educationuk@britishcouncil.org.tr

Where can I get counselling services? Could you give me the name of an agent?

You can receive counselling services from the agents listed in the ‘Find an agent’ section of our website www.educationuk.org/turkey. For those agents; in order to be able to join the list, it is required that they work with UK Education providers and language schools and their profile can only be activated once we receive verification from those UK institutions about the specific agent.

Agents listed on the site are regularly provided with sector-specific trainings, workshops and briefings by British Council Education UK liaising with the convenient sector experts and organisations such as British Consulate – General and Visa section to ensure that the service they provide is of a high standard. One of the key trainings that we offer to the agents is ‘Promoting UK Education and Training’, Education UK Online Training Programme about Education system and student life in the UK.

You can check an agent’s profile to see what training they have undertaken and which UK institutions/schools they work with.

If you are not looking for a specific agent; the search engine will allow you to search for an agent by city, by the UK school/institution the agent works with or type of programme that you are interested in.

Can I trust the agents on your website?

We cannot give you guarantees about the agents that are listed on our website but we do ask the schools that they work with for feedback and follow up on any problems.

Which language course/university do you recommend?

British Council does not make recommendations about individual institutions.  We do; however, recommend language courses that have been accredited (inspected and approved) by British Council inspectors.

380 schools are currently accredited and you can find a list of these at http://www.britishcouncil.org/accreditation-az-list.htm or you can use the search engine at www.educationuk.org/english where only accredited schools are listed.

All these schools, colleges and universities on this list are accredited through Accreditation UK. This means that they all meet agreed quality standards guaranteed by Accreditation UK. There is information based on the independent findings of Accreditation UK inspection report and public at http://www.britishcouncil.org/accreditation-more-about-your-accredited-centre.htm

When you make your decision you may want to check the statement next to the name of the school, college or university provides further information about the institution. For the reports please visit the sections listed below.

PUBLISHABLE STATEMENTS A - K

PUBLISHABLE STATEMENTS L - Z

If you are searching for a degree or a post graduate course, we recommend that you go to the ‘Student Experiences’ section at http://www.britishcouncil.org/turkey-educationuk-career-based-student-experiences for testimonies from students with first hand experience of studying in the UK.

How can I apply for an English language course and can you help?

You can apply directly to the language school or you can apply through an agent.  You can find agents that work with British Council accredited schools at www.educationuk.org.tr in the ‘Find an Agent’ section of the page.

What should I look out for when I am choosing a language school?

Make sure that the school is accredited by the British Council.  To become accredited, a school needs to reach a certain standard both in the quality of education and in accommodation.
We suggest that you also look at the course programme; social activities; how many students are in a class and how many other Turkish students will be at the school. The ideal conditions for you depend on your personal preferences. London and the South East are more expensive than other regions. If you choose a place and situation where you need to interact with people frequently you will have more opportunities to use your English.

Can you help me to get a visa and how long does it usually take to get one?

We are not involved in the issuing of visas but you can find your nearest agent in the ‘Find an agent’ section of our website at www.educationuk.org/turkey and they will be able to assist you.  The time it takes to issue a visa depends on the workload of the visa section and you can find more information about visas at www.visainfoservices.com

Can I work while I’m studying?

If the course that you choose is a full time course (min 15 hrs per week) and last 6 months or more you can work part-time up to 20 hours a week during term time and work full-time during your holidays. However, you have to make sure that you have a passport sticker that allows you to work. More details about the visa please visit the following links.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/turkey-educationuk-working-in-the-uk

http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/student/working_during.php

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/

What kind of work can I do during my studies?

If you have student immigration permission that allows you to take employment, you can work up to 20 hours a week during term-time and full-time during your holidays, a work placement which is part of a sandwich course, or an internship.

More information about what kind of work that you can do: http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/student/what_type_of_work.php

What are the starting dates for courses and how long do they usually last?

You can find English language courses in the UK that start every week and last from 2 weeks to a year. For university language courses there are 3 terms that begin in September, January and April.  We recommend that you complete your application at least 2 months in advance. Also summer is a very busy time and you may not find a place on the course of your choice so for these courses we recommend that you apply as early as possible.

Degree and post-graduate courses accept students in September / October or January.
Most degree programmes are for 3 years (in Scotland 4 years) but as the education system is different, Turkish students also have to complete a foundation year. Post-graduate programmes last for one year and doctorate programmes for 3 – 4 years.

When do I have to apply for a degree? What is the final application date and am I eligible to apply?

International students can apply to UK universities online through the UCAS (University and College Admissions Service) website www.ucas.com. You need to apply for each of your chosen universities separately and you can only apply to a maximum of 5 universities or programmes at one time.
Some programmes are more popular than others and fill up quickly, so for this reason we recommend that you apply a year in advance. The application process begins on 1 September of the year before and finishes on 15 January.  Applications submitted between 16 January and 30 June are considered to be ‘late applications’ by the university. These will be considered in the time after 30 June when universities know how many free spaces are available on each course in the ‘clearing’ period.
Post-graduate places do not have a final application date but we recommend that you apply a year in advance as places can be filled quickly.  You make your application directly to the university department that you wish to study at.
Some essentials needed before applying:

Diploma (For post-graduate study this should be in a related subject to the subject you want to study).
University transcript
A certificate to show your level of English (IELTS – you can take this exam at the British Council Turkey and it is accepted by every institution http://www.britishcouncil.org/turkey-learning-exams-ielts-home.htm, TOEFL – this is accepted by most institutions but check with your institution before you take it).
2 references (one must be academic)
Statement of purpose (an explanation of why you would like to study that subject, why you’ve chosen that university in the UK, what effect it will have on your career etc. – you can find examples on the Internet)

Can I obtain a vocational qualification in the UK?

In the UK, students who are 16 and over can study for a vocational qualification for 2 years in colleges of Further Education. These programmes are known as Foundation Degrees or Higher National Diploma HND).
The colleges work with trade and industry in order to make sure the courses meet the needs of the world of work. For this reason, students are ready for the world of work when they graduate.
They can also choose to go to university where they are then exempt from the first year of a degree course. There are a large number of these colleges and many of them work in conjunction with universities in the UK, offering the same education programme but in smaller classrooms and more economically.
Many of them also give English language training. You can find information on subjects that you can study at http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-education-information-sheets

Can you help me get information about my chosen school/university?

You can find detailed information about language schools at www.educationuk.org/english and about degree or post-graduate programmes at www.educationuk.org.tr

We advise students to contact the International Officer at the Institution that you want to apply to get detailed and up to date information for undergraduate and post-graduate programmes.

How do I know if my chosen shcool/programme is good?

There isn’t a list showing the quality of schools or degree programmes. For post-graduate programmes you can look at the results of the Research Assessment Exercise which ranks programmes according to the quality of their research http://www.rae.ac.uk/, - conducted most recently in 2008.

You can compare degree courses at http://www.unistats.com/

Can you give me information about programme costs?

The fees you pay will vary dependent on the type of course you choose and will differ from school to school and are at the discretion of the institution.

For a week’s course you could pay anything from under £200 to over £1000. It really does depend on the nature of the course you choose.

You probably need to budget for around £250 - £350 for accommodation and living expenses, including the course fees.

For information on expenses related to English courses and University education check these sites:  http://www.britishcouncil.org/turkey-educationuk-scholarships-course-fees.htm  

http://www.educationuk.org/budgetplanner/

http://www.britishcouncil.org/turkey-educationuk-living-costs

Career-based and pre-university study

Average course fees  AS- and A-levels:  £4,000-£8,000 per year

BTECs and other vocational:  £4,000-£6,000 per year

HNC/HNDs:  £5,000-£10,000 per year

Foundation Degrees:  £7,000-£12,000 per year  

International Foundation Courses:  £4,000 to £12,000 per year

Undergraduate study

Average course fees  Foundation courses £4,000 to £12,000 per year

Arts courses £7,000 to £9,000 per year

Science courses £7,500 to £12,000 per year

Clinical courses £10,000 to £21,000 per year

Postgraduate study and MBAs

Average course fees  Arts and humanities courses: £7,000-£9,000 per year  

Science courses:  £7,500-£12,000 per year  

Clinical courses:  £10,000-£21,000 per year  

MBA:  £4,000 to more than £30,000 per year

Is my chosen programme recognised in Turkey?

YÖK doesn’t publish a list of recognised UK institutions or programmes so we recommend that you contact YÖK before you register on any course or university programme at least a month in advance.

YÖK - Tel: 0312 298 7152 or Fax: 0312 266 5060

More details about YÖK recognition: http://www.yok.gov.tr/denklik/denklik.htm

How can I find out my level of English?

If the language school that you are applying for has an agent in Turkey, your level of English can be assessed  by that agent; otherwise, on the first day of the course you will be given a level test or there will be one included in the application form.

For academic courses, you need to prove your level of English and the IELTS exam is the most widely recognised certificate of English in the UK. You can find detailed information at following links: http://www.britishcouncil.org/turkey-learning-exams-ielts-home.htm or

www.ielts.org  

Is my academic record good enough to apply for a degree/post-graduate degree?

Generally to apply for a post-graduate degree in the UK you need a total GPA of 3 or above. Some universities will take work experience, language ability and other factors into account and accept less than 3.

I have a science degree but I would like to do a social science masters.

The university you are applying to will make the decision whether your academic history is appropriate to study a degree with them and as each institution is different you need to approach them directly. There are ‘Postgraduate Foundation’ courses that can help to bridge the gap before starting the masters programme.

Can you tell me about distance learning?

For information about distance courses in the UK, please check the sites below.

http://www.educationuk.org/pls/hot_bc/page_pls_user_article?x=131550491010&y=0&a=0&d=1507   http://www.odlqc.org.uk/   http://www.uol.ohecampus.com/index.php   http://campusone.ulster.ac.uk/   http://www.londonexternal.ac.uk/   http://www.ncuk.ac.uk/   http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/ (paid programmes)   http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/ (free learning samples)   http://www.interactiveuniversity.net/   http://www.nec.ac.uk/info/?usca_p=t   http://www.obhe.ac.uk/

WHAT IS HIGHLY SKILLED WORKERS, INVERSTORS AND ENTREPRENEURS SCHEME?

Highly skilled workers, investors, entrepreneurs and foreign students who have graduated from a United Kingdom university can apply under new points-based system. In order to be able apply for a visa under those schemes; you will need to pass a points-based assessment to be eligible to apply.

More information on http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/tier1/

CAN I GET INFORMATION ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS?

Partial scholarships from 10% to 50% of annual fees are available for graduate and post-graduate degrees except language courses in the UK.

There is a full scholarship scheme offered by the British Government available for post-graduate students, please go to www.britishcouncil.org/turkey-learning-funding-chevening

Below are some other sources of funding.

www.educationuk.org/scholarships

http://www.britishcouncil.org/turkey-learning-funding-osi-chevening-essex-scholarships.htm

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/scotPerforms

http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/

http://www.jeanmonnet.org.tr/web/

http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/student/source_funding.php#scholarships

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Funding_my_further_study/p!edLff

www.thes.co.uk

http://www.orsas.ac.uk/

http://www.soros.org/

http://www.hero.ac.uk/uk/studying/funding_your_study263.cfm

http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/index.htm - Medicine, Biomedical science

http://www.meb.gov.tr/duyurular/duyurular2007/burslar/YabHukVerilenBurslar.html

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/index.htm

www.npc.org.uk