Introduction

The UK has emerged as the third most popular destination for Indian students seeking higher education abroad. Studying in the UK can offer a plethora of life-changing occurrences including world-class education, high-paying jobs, various modes of amusement, lavish lifestyle and so on. The UK has warmly welcomed overseas students through the ages. Indian students also bear an unexceptionable fascination with studying in the UK. Once a student decides to study in the UK, he must comply with the entry requirements to land in the UK. Some general requirements should be met for Indian students before admission to UK universities. The excerpt will highlight the requirements of Indian students to have entrance into the UK.

Commonly Required Documents

Being an overseas student, one must undergo some generic documentation for entrance, which is a standard norm for almost all the universities in the UK. The general requirements contain the below-mentioned contents:

• Personal details with address
• criminal record DBS check
• An updated CV
• A certificate of English language proficiency test
• fitness practice test
• Certificate of Academic Entrance test (if required)

Students around the world need to meet all the criteria and partake in detailed background verification to secure admission to desired colleges or universities.

Tests to Qualify for the Admission Process

To comply with the admission process, Indian students need to qualify for the following tests:

Language Proficiency Test

The university checks the students ' level of command and comprehension of English. TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE are some certifications that students out of the EU need to clear at the time of applying.

Academic Tests

Different courses in various universities demand different academic tests to be qualified to get through the admission process such as GMAT is determined for management students, and GRE for the graduate students to determine proficiency in arithmetic, language and writing, whereas MAT is conducted in the most eminent universities of Oxford and Cambridge to filter the admission process.

Each course of various universities proffers different requirements. However, exceptional grades in your preferred subject are the foremost requirement. For freshers, the entire process can appear to be baffling, in that case, they can seek assistance from the alumni, universities or the student community for clarity.

Requirements for Undergraduate Students

Indian students willing to pursue undergraduate degrees in the UK must attain a 10+2 degree from a recognized Indian board with flying colours to comply with the eligibility criteria of an undergraduate degree from a UK university. Some indispensable documents for undergraduate admission are -

• Passport and ID proof
• Student visa
• Offer letter
• Letter of recommendation
• The score for the English proficiency language test
• Certificate for 10+2 academic study
• Certificate of the last academic qualification

Along with producing the needed documents the student must go through and adhere to all the terms and conditions that the UK has proclaimed for the Indian Undergraduate students.

Requirements for Post-graduation

International students from India are offered a wide range of courses such as Creative Arts and Design, Fashion, Biological Science, Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Tourism and Hospitality, Accounting and Finance, Medicine and Dentistry, Biomedical Science, Healthcare, Nursing etc. in the postgraduate curriculum. To take admission to a few of these courses students may need to submit qualifying testimony of their academic tests like GMAT/GRE. Indian students may need to get through university-specific entrance examinations to secure their entry at the desired universities. Below is the list of prerequisites that Indian students must produce to get admission to a post-graduate course in the UK:

• Student visa
• Offer letter
• A valid passport
• Proof of English language proficiency test
• An updated resume
• Two letters of recommendation
• An official academic transcript
• Financial Statement

Required Documents for PhD. Aspirants

PhD aspirants from India must have a bachelor's and master's degree from a recognized university to seek a doctorate admission in the UK. A student must submit an outstanding research proposal that stands to be the primary key to being accepted into UK universities. The selection in a Ph.D. programme incorporates a round robust of interviews that the student needs to pass through. Some obligatory documents for PhD are brought up below:

• Student visa
• Offer letter
• Financial statement
• Proposal
• A valid passport
• English proficiency test
• Statement of purpose
• Two letters of recommendation

CAS Letter

CAS is another crucial aspect for international students including Indians who wish to study in the UK. Without the letter for CAS, students won't be able to study in the UK. A CAS letter is also known as a “Confirmation Of Acceptance For Studies'. CAS consists of a unique license number which shows that the university has accepted your admission. The fee for CAS needs to be deposited which can vary between 0 to 6000 GBP.

Obtaining an Acceptance Letter

Once you attain all criteria and submit your application successfully, the acceptance letter or offer letter is followed by some time. In most cases, the letter of acceptance is issued via email during the summer. Still, in some cases, it may take up to two months to get the letter of acceptance. The offer letters can be of two kinds.

Conditional Acceptance Letter

First, the university generally issues a conditional acceptance letter. A conditional letter is for the student, which can be extended by the university when the student has not fulfilled all academic or financial requirements for the particular study programme. The students must promptly comply with the requirements to get admission in the UK.

Unconditional Acceptance

Once the university receives the confirmation of meeting all necessary academic and financial requirements by the student, the student is granted an unconditional letter of acceptance from the university or the college.

Visa Requirements

Once an Indian student succeeds in getting through the admission process, one should initiate the visa application, which needs to be organized through some paperwork along with the unconditional acceptance letter. An international student can obtain two kinds of study visas to get into a university.

Short-Term Study Visa - This visa is feasible for an international student for the course consisting of a brief stay, specifically from 6 or 11 months.

Tier 4 Visa – This visa is for students who get admission in academic courses for a relatively longer period such as graduation, post-graduation, or Ph.D.

Entry Requirements for Vocational Course

To get enrolled in a basic vocational course, students won't need any formal qualification. The only requirement is English language proficiency and literacy skills, though students will need to check the institute requirements for details and if changes in the case occur.

Financial Requirements

To grab an unconditional acceptance letter, an Indian student must arrange and pay the liable course fee first. Universities in the UK provide myriad financial support for brilliant but needy students.

The first option to meet the financial criteria is to avail of a student loan. Some universities offer their students various loan schemes.

The second resource is to look for scholarships and grants. Ample private companies and non-governmental organizations offer students grants to attain their higher education. The eligibility criteria for scholarships usually tend to be uncompromising based on high competition.

Another compulsory cost from India is required for obtaining a Tier 4 Visa. An Indian student needs a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK. Visa rules obligate the student either to pay the entire tuition fees of the 1st academic year beforehand or the submission of their financial details to reassure their financial ability. For an Indian student, it is important to submit proof of funds amounting to the living expenses for at least nine months. You need the evidence that you can pay for 9 months approximately 1050 GBP (Rs.90,000) per month as living expenses in case of staying outside London. You need to prove that you can afford approximately 1300 GBP (around Rs.130,000) as the cost of living per month while living in London over a period of 9 months.

For an Indian student, the competition for admission to universities in the UK is cut-throat, so it is crucial to plan early. Having good grades as well as good reference letters may place you in a favourable position. Overall, following these straightforward steps, you can enhance your prospects of succeeding in the admission process.