Student Facilities
- Airport Collection
- Airport Meeting Service
- Accommodation
- Medical Care for Overseas Students
- Part time Employment
- Photocopying Facilities
- Student Library
- Computing Facilities
- Faith and Worship
- Bank Account References
- Student Community
- About Visas
Airport Collection:
Arriving in Britain for the first time from overseas can be rather overwhelming. To help you in this transition phase, we can arrange for you to be met at the airport by a College approved taxi company, which will take you to your accommodation or to the College. To apply for this service, fill in the relevant section in the accommodation application form.
Airport Meeting Service:
Overseas students arriving in the UK for the first time who wish to be met by the college representative at a London airport must inform the college of the following details at least two weeks before their arrival date: arrival airport, date and time of arrival; and flights details. Students will be taken to the College, except at weekends when they will be taken directly to their lodgings.
There is a fee of £50 for this service.
Accommodation:
Oxford College has close links with specialist home stay agencies in London and we can book a place in a Hostel or host family for you. Email or fax us with your needs well before your arrival to enable us to make the most suitable arrangements for you. Our Student Services Manager and her team can give you advice on many different types of accommodation: College Hostel, host families, Private hostels, hotels and shared flats.
• International House
International house is excellent for those students looking for budget accommodation. Accommodation is mainly in single rooms, with shared kitchens and bathrooms. Female and male rooms are separate.
Cost – from £330 per calendar month.
• How to apply for accommodation
Step 1: You will need to have been accepted by the College, paid your tuition deposit and obtained your visa (if required).
Step 2: Contact the Accommodation Office, using the details shown below, and order an Accommodation Request Form.
Tel: +44 (0) 871 200 2316
Fax: +44 (0) 20 8470 9377
Step 3: Fill in the Accommodation Request Form, or the appropriate hostel application, and return it to the Accommodation Office, along with the required deposit for your accommodation. Remember to apply in good time so as not to be disappointed.
• Accommodation Office
The Accommodation Office provides information on the types of accommodation available, and is pleased to assist students in finding suitable accommodation, both in advance, and when they have arrived in the country. We aim to house our students in the affordable local area, within quick and easy reach of the College. The Accommodation Office provides three main options:
Student Hostels From £85/week Study bedrooms with shared bathrooms and other facilities. They are a good way to get to know other students from different colleges.
Host Families Up to £130/week – Oxford College approved families are a good meals included way to settle into London life. It is essential to book early for this option.
Flat and House Share £70 - £100/week – Students rent single rooms within a house or single room flat, from a private landlord. Kitchen and other facilities are shared.
Bed and Breakfast Variable A temporary option which can be booked from abroad whilst students organize private flat and house share.
Medical Care for Overseas Students:
Overseas students enrolled on courses of more than six months duration are entitled to free hospital treatment through the UK National Health Service provided they first register with a local doctor. Students who encounter difficulties in obtaining medical care should consult the college Academic Registrar.
Part-time Employment:
Full time students may work up to 20 hours a week during term time, and any number of hours during vacations. The College provides an advisory service to students seeking part time work.
Photocopying Facilities:
Students may use the photocopying facilities provided by the College at a nominal charge.
Student Library
The College library stocks many recommended texts and subscribes to major magazines and journals of relevance to students in the different disciplines. Students who join the library are entitled to borrow books for home study. OCL particularly encourages all students to use Library as much as possible to make them habitual to reading and in turn learning. Faculty members are encouraged and urged to keep referring updated books and magazines and other knowledge contained items for our students.
Computing Facilities
Computing facilities at OCL adopt smart and modern installation to ensure that there is always a strong and healthy exposure to modern and latest technologies. The impressive and conducive network of computing facilities is comprised of networked PCs linking with the wide range of software, communications and print services. There is an open access to the Internet and is part of an extensive 'broadband' information network.
Faith and Worship
Oxford College respects all faiths, and provides facilities for worship.
Bank Account References
OCL will advise and assist students on the procedures for opening a bank account in London. The College will provide confirmation of student status.
A Vibrant International Student Community
OCL welcomes students from countries around the world & provides academic programs, administrative and support services to ensure that the experience of all students is one that is positive, successful & rewarding. Enunciated teachers' international exposure and their experience with multicultural student body make it a unique experience of learning for our students.
Besides class sessions become enhanced with lively discussions and an international perspective. Moreover students get to know about multiple cultures from almost all around the world which includes different languages, customs and traditions, political and social conditions and learning habits. This can be viewed as a perfect example of a global village.
VISAS:
• EEA Nationals
If you are an EEA national (European Union Countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) you are entitled to enter the UK freely and have the right of residence for the duration of your course. Guidance information notes for EEA nationals are available to download from the UKCOSA website.
• Non-EEA Nationals
If you are not an EEA national, you need to find out if you are a 'visa national' i.e. somebody who must, by law, obtain entry clearance (known as a visa) before traveling. The British Embassy / High Commission or British Council office in your country should be able to tell you whether you fall into this category.
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website includes a search facility to find the British Embassy or High Commission in your country (click UK Overseas Missions). The FCO also has an online form, which you can complete to determine whether you are a visa national as well as your nearest Embassy or High Commission.
• Visa Nationals
If you are a 'visa national', you must obtain a visa before you come to the UK. You should apply for a visa at your nearest British Embassy / High Commission. You will have to complete an application form and produce various documents to show you meet the Immigration Rules for students. You can check these rules and the documentation normally required by downloading the guidance information notes on 'Immigration procedures before leaving your country' from the UKCOSA website. You should, however, also check with your British Embassy / High Commission in case they require other documentation. You may also be asked to attend an interview. You should apply for a visa as soon as possible after you are offered a place at OCL, since the procedure can take some time. Note: as a visa national you must make sure that you obtain entry clearance as a student rather than a visitor.
• Non-Visa Nationals
If you are not a visa national, you do not require a visa to enter the UK. You may, however, wish to apply for 'entry clearance' before arrival. Entry clearance should make your arrival in the UK easier and means you have the right of appeal if the Immigration Officer refuses you entry to the UK on arrival. Entry clearance is recommended in the following cases: if you are bringing your family with you; if you are a prospective student; if you are coming to do a course of six months or less. The entry clearance given to non-visa nationals is called an 'entry certificate', but the procedures for applying are exactly the same as for a visa. Further information is available from the UKCOSA website in their guidance information notes 'Immigration Procedures before leaving your country'.
• Arrival into U.K
EEA nationals (European Union Countries, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) will be admitted freely if they produce their national identity card or passport on arrival in the UK. They will not have anything stamped in their passport. Non-EEA nationals (i.e. non-visa and visa nationals) If you are not an EEA national, the Immigration Officer will ask you why you are coming to the UK when you enter the country. You will be asked to show that you have a place on a course at OCL and that you have sufficient funding to cover the cost of your stay. You should therefore ensure that you carry with you in your hand luggage the letters of acceptance that you have received from the OCL as well as evidence of your funding (e.g. sponsor's letter, bank statement). The Immigration Officer will put a stamp in your passport indicating the length of time you are allowed to stay in the UK. This may be for one year or for the length of your course. If you have obtained a visa or entry certificate before coming to the UK, you may already have had such a stamp put in your passport. You should note the date carefully; if you are only given one year and your course is longer than this or if your course takes longer than expected, you will have to extend your permission to stay before it expires.
• Registration with Police
Students from certain countries may have to register with the police after their arrival. If you are required to register with the police, this will be stamped in your passport by the Immigration Officer when you arrive in the UK. If this is not stamped in your passport you do not have to register. If you are required to register, you must do so within seven days of your arrival in the UK and pay a registration fee (£35 in 2001).
This information does not apply to EEA nationals, who have the right of residence for the duration of their course. The date when your permission to stay in the UK ('leave to remain') expires will have been put in your passport, either when you obtained your visa / entry certificate to come to the UK or at Immigration when you arrived. You may find that you have to extend this leave to remain, for instance if you were only given one year and your course is actually longer than that or if it has taken longer to finish your degree than you expected. A couple of months before the expiry date you should start thinking about applying to extend your permission to stay in the UK to finish your course. An application form for extension can be directly obtained from the Home Office's website.
