常见问题 FAQ
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学校的开学时间 Dates and semesters

about working in the UK.

Q：PERSONAL FINANCE

A：Before you decide to study overseas you should make sure you have enough money to support yourself. You will need to consider the cost of air fares, course fees, daily travel, food, clothing, equipment and so on. Under immigration regulations you will not normally be allowed to work and study at the same time.

Students offered a place at Brunel must ensure that they have sufficient funds to cover both their fees and living costs for the duration of the course before admission to the University.

Q：LIVING EXPENSES

A：It is difficult to be precise about living costs as individual students differ considerably in their expectations and needs. As a guide, however, the University recommends that you allow about ￡7,000 if single and about ￡10,500 if married for each calendar year. Don't forget that you may have extra expenses when you first arrive in the UK such as temporary hotel accommodation.

Q：BRINGING MONEY INTO THE UK

A：You may bring as much money as you like, in any form, into the UK.
The following may be considered eligible for 'home' fee status:
Travellers Cheques

It is worth choosing a well known brand of travellers' cheque. These can be changed at banks and bureaux de change - there is generally no charge for cashing sterling travellers' cheques. If you do bring money in travellers' cheques make a note of all the serial numbers and keep this separate from the cheques themselves.

Credit cards
Credit cards are widely accepted in shops, restaurants and other retail outlets as well as the majority of cash machines. If you do bring a credit card for use in the UK make sure it is one of the most well known ones - MasterCard or Visa are the most popular.

Q：BANKING
A：How you wish to handle your finances is entirely up to you. As banking systems vary from country to country it is impossible to give specific advice here but we have provided some guidelines to help you.

The four main high street banks are:
Barclays Bank
Lloyds TSB Bank
HSBC Bank
National Westminster Bank

In addition, there are on-line bank accounts available with companies such as:
Smile
First Direct
These banks all offer different deals to international students. It is worth shopping around to find the best conditions for your own needs.

You can use the banks to exchange any foreign money or transfer currency, but check the rates as the banks vary considerably in their charges.

When considering opening a bank account you should look for:
· whether a cheque book, cheque guarantee card and a cash card are included
· whether there are banking charges for cashing checks in Euros or other currencies
· how long it will take to open the account
· benefits to students opening a bank account
· whether or not you pay transaction charges if your account is in credit

You should not go overdrawn (draw out more money than you have in your account) unless you have made an arrangement with the bank to do so. If you do go overdrawn you will have to pay a penalty and interest on the amount overdrawn.

International students are not usually permitted to take out bank loans