Ample universities of the UK are paired with Sri Lanka as a flagship of Transnational Education. The surmounting popularity of UK universities among Sri Lankan students owes to the myriad existences of British universities across the country. As a result, the demand for UK degrees is increasing among the youngsters of Sri Lanka by leaps and bounds. UK universities are renowned for universally recognised degrees, high-rated education, and magnificent career opportunities with high-paying jobs. Once a student aspires to study in the UK, he must comply with the entry requirements to get into the UK. The excerpt highlights the entry requirements that the students must conduct to enter UK universities.

Requirements for Research

First, a student must conduct adequate research and explore the list of universities and the courses based on location, facilities and ranking offered by the universities.

Being an overseas student, one must go through long-winded paperwork and must produce all the right documents to enter your desired study programme.

The second step is to make gather profound knowledge of the following details:

• Entry requirements

• Tuition fees

• Scholarships

• CAS requirements

• Visa

• Other academic and financial requirements

After thoroughly examining all these parameters, one can apply online or can seek assistance from an agent.

Requirements for Registration and Application

UK universities present a plethora of courses for Sri Lankan students such as Accounting and Finance, ACCA, MBA, Law, Arts, Digital Marketing, Computer Networking, Web Engineering, Tourism, Hospitality Management, Economics, Criminology, and Business Studies. Some mandatory documents that a Sri Lankan student must obtain at the time of application are:

• Passport

• All academic certificates and transcripts.

• Documents of English language proficiency test

• CV

• Reference letter

• Personal statement

• Portfolio ( for the art and design course)

Other Requirements

Apart from these mandatory documents, different courses demand different academics as well as other proofs of your candidature. Let's understand the admission process deftly:

Admission Requirements for Undergraduate Students

Once you choose the university or college and your preferred undergraduate course, you need to register through the UCAS website and fill out the application forms. A Sri Lankan student must complete an A level with Grades CCC to apply for an undergraduate course. Here you must attach the required documents as follows:

• Your academic transcripts details and testimonials of the previous academic institution
• Letters of Recommendations
• Your transcript
• Your statement
• Two letters of reference
• Report of English language test
• Statement of Purpose
• Supporting statements to provide Financial statements
• An offer letter
• Right Student visa

Requirements for the Post-Graduate Students

To complete a Master's degree, an international student can directly apply to a desired university. The academic criteria for a Sri Lankan student to obtain a Master's degree are:

• A Bachelor's degree (Professional/ Special/ Honours/ General) or equivalent degree from a recognised institution
• A dissertation/project being completed within the degree (if applicable)
• Academic transcripts
• Two letters of Recommendations
• Statement of Purpose
• Report of English Proficiency Tests
• An updated resume
• Bank Statement
• An offer letter
• Right student visa

Admission Requirements for PhD Students

A Sri Lankan PhD aspirant must comply with the below academic criteria to secure admission to UK universities.

• A Master's degree or 4 years Bachelor's degree

• All final official academic certificates and transcripts

• Research Proposal

• English Proficiency Tests

• Financial statements

• Offer Letter

• Student Visa

• Up-to-date CV

• Personal statement of purpose

• Research proposal

• Two academic reference letters on official letterhead

Since some universities in the UK welcome applications throughout the year and do not draw any deadlines, you can send the applications throughout the year. However, some of the programmes hold strict deadlines. After good research, you can contact the university to send your application.

Required Tests to Qualify for the Admission Process

For the admission process some standardized tests are needed to be qualified to apply to a UK University:

Language Proficiency Test

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

Academic Tests

Different courses demand different academic tests to be qualified to get through the admission process such as GMAT 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 to filter the admission process.

CAS Letter

CAS is another crucial aspect for international students including Sri Lankans 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 meet all criteria and submit your application successfully, the acceptance letter or offer letter is followed by some time. The offer letters can be of two types.

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 comply with the requirements to get admission in the UK promptly.

Unconditional Acceptance of 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.

Compulsory Documents for UK Study Visa from Sri Lanka

Once a Sri Lankan student succeeds in getting through the admission process, one should initiate the visa application, which needs to be organized through a few pieces of paperwork along with the aforementioned documents. Short-Term Study Visas and Tier 4 visas are two kinds of study visas that a student can obtain based on their needs.

A Sri Lankan student must procure all mandatory documents to apply for a student visa in the UK from Sri Lanka. The following documents will enable a Sri Lankan student to obtain a student visa:

• A valid passport with other necessary travel documents

• Proof of financial ability and the statement of payment you have already made.

• CAS ( Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies)

• A tuberculosis test report.

• Updated CV

• Work reference (in case of a break of studies for more than 3 years)

• In case of availing sponsorship for tuition fees and living expenses, a consent letter from the financial sponsor is required.

Financial Requirements and Scholarships

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

The plausible resources of funding are scholarships and grants. Ample scholarship opportunities are available for aspiring students to study in the UK from Sri Lanka. A Sri Lankan student can opt for the following scholarships to unburden the financial strain of tuition fees.

• Commonwealth Scholarship

• GREAT Scholarships

• Rhodes Scholarship

• Chevening Scholarship

• Gates Cambridge Scholarship

• Fulbright Partnership Awards.

The eligibility criteria for scholarships usually tend to be uncompromising based on high competition.

Since the last few years, an increasing preference of Sri Lankan students to study in UK universities has raised the bar higher for them to crack the admission process. However, it is crucial to plan early. Having good grades as well as good reference letters may enable you to reach a desired position. Finally, you can enhance your prospects of succeeding by complying with all the protocols and requirements.