According to the British Council, the UK has 114 universities and 60 colleges that are currently providing higher education to an estimated 1.8 million students. England, being the biggest country of the UK, accounts for an overwhelming chunk of students enrolled in the British higher education institutions.



In 2006, out of the total 345,564 British students who were accepted in the UK universities and colleges through UCAS ? the central admissions body of the country for undergraduate courses ? England accounted for 289,229 students, followed by Scotland (26,802), Wales (17,148) and Northern Ireland (12,385).

Around 45,000 international students also find a place every year in the British undergraduate courses. According to the UCAS figures for 2006 entry, the maximum number of oversees students were from China (4,502) followed by Ireland, France, Hong Kong, Nigeria and Germany. Poland, Cyprus, Hong Kong, France and the US saw the largest rise in students accepted to UK universities and colleges in 2006.

Unlike in the USA, the UK institutions of higher learning are mainly funded by the central government via funding councils as well as student tuitions. It should be noted that the government does not own these universities, it only funds them. Independent, privately funded universities do not exist, with the sole exception of The University of Buckingham that was founded in 1973.

The Open University is the only British university dedicated to part-time higher education. It offers supported distance and open learning materials for undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Most of these require no previous qualifications. The student has to be 18 years of age when the course starts, but there is no upper age limit. The university at last count had 150,000 undergraduate and over 30,000 postgraduate students, nearly all of them studying part-time and a majority of them employed.

Types of Degrees and Diplomas Awarded by UK Universities

Degrees: The highest and most sought-after undergraduate qualification. Degree courses usually last for three years (except in Scotland where the duration is four years) but those in professional subject like medicine and law usually take five years.

Foundation Degrees: These two-year-long career-related courses are equivalent to the first stages of a degree in areas like media and communications, art and design and hospitality management. True to their name, they lay a foundation for you to pursue a particular career and also provide a basis to move to a degree course.

Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Diploma (HND): These career-related courses ? in areas like sports, media, engineering, art and design ? lasting for one or two years are equivalent to the first stages of a degree. These enable you to start a career at junior-management level.

Diplomas in Higher Education: The Higher Education Diplomas are two-year courses related to social sciences like theology and education.

Postgraduate Courses: You need an undergraduate degree to pursue these courses which include postgraduate certificate or diploma, master's degree and doctorate (PhD).

Since most undergraduate courses in Scotland last four years, they offer more flexibility in deciding which subject to specialize in. Students are allowed to study for two years in a range of general courses like Humanities before choosing one subject they want to pursue as their specialty. The general degree in a Scottish university takes three years while the honours (specialized) degree is acquired after four years of study. It is interesting to note that the American undergraduate education system is based on the Scottish model.

Admission Procedure

In British universities, the academic year starts from September while the admission procedure commences a year before that. The applications have to be submitted from 1st September preceding the September in which you wish to start the course.

The closing date of applications for Oxford and Cambridge Universities as well as courses in medicine and dentistry is 15 October. For other courses and colleges, the deadline is 15th January.

To enrol in an undergraduate course, you do not have to apply individually to each college or university of your choice. Instead, you have to route your application through the Universities & Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) which is the country's main admissions body.

To submit your application, you have to apply online at the UCAS website (paper forms do not exist any more). The application does not have to be filled at one go. The form you fill is stored at the UCAS website. You can periodically log in and modify it as many times as you want until you finally decide to submit it to the UCAS.

The UCAS form allows you to apply to six institutions or courses at one go. You have to provide details like academic grades, one reference and your personal statement, all of which enable admission tutors to decide your suitability for the course.

For post-graduate courses, you do not have to go through the UCAS but apply to the institutions directly.

Tuition Fees

Universities and colleges of each of the four countries that comprise the UK have their own tuition fee structure depending on the course. However, the British government has capped the maximum tuition fees that can be charged from a home student at ?3,000 a year.

Also, provision has been made for an easy loan to British students which will enable them to put off paying tuition fees. This loan has to be repaid only after they have left higher education and are earning over ?15,000 a year.

The tuition fee British students have to pay for 2007 entry in undergraduate courses:

England: Up to ?3,070 a year. However, you do not have to pay anything while you are studying. You are provided an easy loan and do not have to repay until you have finished studying and are earning over ?15,000 a year

Wales: Up to ?3,070 a year. From 2007, students who normally live and study in Wales will be entitled to a tuition fee grant of ?1,800 which does not have to be repaid. This effectively caps their fees at around ?1,200 a year. 'Student Finance Wales' will provide an easy loan to defer fees. The students do not have to repay anything until they have finished studying and are earning over ?15,000 a year

Scotland: There are no tuition fees! However, Scottish students have to make a one-off payment (Graduate Endowment) once the course ends. This was ?2,286 in 2005-06 (figures were not yet finalized for 2006-7 at the time of writing). Students will not have to start paying the Endowment until the April after they have completed their course. Students from other UK countries pay a fixed-rate fee of ?1,700 a year (?2,700 for medical courses). Payments may be deferred by taking out a loan, repayments for which will begin once graduates earn over ?15,000 a year

Northern Ireland: A student's eligibility for financial support to enable them to attend higher education courses is decided by the Education and Library Boards. Universities can also charge variable fees with a system of deferred repayment.

All non-EU international students have to pay a much higher fee than British students since they are not subsidized by the state. The overseas fees can range from ?4,000 to ?21,000 per year, depending on the institution and the type and level of course. To know the exact fee, international students should contact the college or university directly.