From those I have responded to, I get to see that they have grossly underestimated the amount of effort and the amount of money it would take to embark on such a journey.

 

So that I do not keep trying to explain over and over again to different people at different times, I have decided to do a breakdown here for the benefit of all who need this information.

 

First of all, there are various ways to relocate to the UK, but in this post, I will be talking specifically about the most popular and relatively easier method of relocation which is the study route method.

 

If you want to get a study visa then you need to get unconditional admission from a UK university.

To get this admission, you will need to apply to the school of your choice and fulfil all their requirements for admission

These requirements could be

 

1. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 (if you intend to do a master’s or PhD programme). Some schools require you to have at least a 2:1 before you are eligible to apply while others require a 2:2. Be sure you check this before applying.

 

2. Proof of ownership of 𝐚 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 that would not expire any time soon

 

3. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 e.g your WAEC or NECO result which shows you have at least a C6 in English language. However, there are a few schools that do not accept WAEC or NECO and insist you must do other English tests like the IELTS or TOEFL in order for you to meet this requirement.

 

4. Depending on your course of study, for example, if you want to study engineering, you might be required to get 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐒 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞

 

5. 𝐀 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 telling them why you want to study the course you have chosen and why you selected the school as your preferred destination.

 

6. Some institutions may require that you show them proof that you can comfortably take care of yourself and pay your tuition fees for the duration of your stay in the UK. This is what they refer to as 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 (𝐏𝐎𝐅).

 

Note that even if you have all these requirements you still might be denied admission if you do not apply on time.

 

Most people try to rush this process and end up getting disappointed.

 

If you intend to get a September admission, for example, the best time to apply is now if the school’s application portal is open.

 

It will interest you to know that there are courses in some schools whose applications for September 2023 admission are no longer available.

 

A second reason why it’s paramount you apply on time is that it gives you enough time to prepare yourself and raise money.

It also reduces the amount of money you would spend in the entire process in the long run.

 

There is a great difference between using the CBN to help you pay your fees and you sourcing funds from the black market.

 

𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞.

Now we are done with the admission requirements, let’s take a look at the amount of money you will need to have as proof of funds before you are given a visa.

 

Proof of funds consists of your tuition fees and your living expenses.

 

Tuition fees vary from university to university. For UK universities, tuition fees could range from £10,000 to £26,000.

If you do not have very rich parents or rich uncles and aunties, tuition fees should be a major determining factor in your school selection.

 

I know it is obvious but I will state it again.

 

The lesser the school fees, the less money you will need to raise.

 

So, let’s take an average, hypothetical tuition fee of £14,000 to carry out our proof of fund estimate.

 

Next is the living expenses which UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) defines as the cost of your upkeep for at least 9 months of study if you are embarking on a one-year program.

 

Because of the high cost of living, I will exclude London from this calculation as the cost of living in London is much higher than in other locations.

 

If you get admission into any school outside of London, your living expenses as stated by the UKVI will be £1023/month which translates to £9207 for that academic session.

 

If you have a dependant (wife or kid(s)), each dependant’s living expense is estimated to be £680/month or £6120/year

As a single student, the total proof of funds based on this scenario will therefore be £14,000 + £9,207 = £23,207

 

To get the equivalent amount of this in naira, use oanda.com. The institutions recommend you to use this website as it gives you the correct estimate of their exchange rate which mirrors that of the CBN.

 

Currently, the rate on Oanda is ₦560/£1

 

So £23,207 will be equivalent to £23,207 x 560 = ₦13,000,000 approximately

 

However, note that the exchange rate fluctuates on a daily basis so you are advised to have more than the exact amount you calculated to make way for any fluctuations in the rate.

 

Instead of using ₦560 to do your calculation, you might want to consider using ₦600 or ₦650. This way you will have no issues with proof of funds.

 

For every dependant you have, just add £6120 to your already calculated POF.

 

For example, if you have one dependant e.g your wife, your required POF becomes £14,000 + £9,207 + £6,120 = £29,327 (approximately ₦16,500,000).

 

This POF must be kept in your account for no less than 28 days.

 

It is one of the important documents you need to apply for your visa.

 

Also, note that most institutions will require you to pay a certain minimum deposit before you are given a 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 (𝐂𝐀𝐒).

 

Any amount you pay as your minimum deposit in order to get your CAS will be deducted from your POF.

 

For example, if you are required to pay £3,000 as your minimum deposit.

 

Once you pay this deposit and your payment is confirmed, your CAS letter will be updated to indicate that you have made a payment.

 

Your balance for POF will now be the total money we calculated earlier – your initial deposit.

 

For the single student example, your updated POF will be £23,207 – £3,000 = £20,207 (approximately 11.5 million Naira).

 

Now you know what you need to gain admission to study in the UK and how to calculate your proof of funds.

 

This will help you greatly even if you need to use agents to process your application.

 

However, if you are on a budget, you can do all these things yourself but that is left for you to decide.

 

If you found this helpful, kindly share it with anyone you feel will benefit immensely from this information.

 

In my next post, I will talk about the expenses you will make in Nigeria as you prepare to apply for your visa plus all the visa application requirements so you get it right the first time if indeed you are serious.

 

Happy weekend to you.