International Student Support

We offer a variety of services for international student support. These services provide advice and guidance for non-academic related queries, support to study abroad and opportunities to improve academic skills through our English Language Teaching and Support Unit (ELTSU).

We are proud to be a university with an international outlook and look forward to supporting you during your time here.

We offer a variety of services for international student support. These services provide advice and guidance for non-academic related queries, support to study abroad and opportunities to improve academic skills through our English Language Teaching and Support Unit (ELTSU).

International Student Success

The University's International Student Success team are available to help students with non-academic issues and enquiries throughout their time at the University of Winchester. The team can advise on queries such as:

• Arrival information
• Orientation
• Travelling to other countries
• Visa applications and extensions
• Opening bank accounts

You are welcome to contact the International Student Success team for any questions you may have as we will also direct students to the appropriate support elsewhere in Student Support and Success or the University.

The International Student Handbook, contains all the information you need to help you prepare for your studies at the University of Winchester and we have also listed some important information in the pages below.

 

Pre-Departure

Before leaving your home country, we will contact you via email with essential information about arrival, travel from the airport and settling into your studies with us.

For information regarding your Student visa, please see Visa information - University of Winchester.

Travel, Transport and Arrival

The University offers a free transfer service to new students arriving at Heathrow Airport which must be booked in advance. 

To book complete this online airport transport form.

Alternatively, below are a range of ways to get to the University if you are arriving at Heathrow airport:

Mode of Transport Notes Estimated Cost
Taxi There are lots of different companies providing services, one example is WinTax. £90-£110 (if pre-booked)
Train If arriving at Heathrow airport you will need to get the Underground from Hatton Cross (Terminal 2) to Piccadilly Circus, then Bakerloo line to Waterloo, then the mainline overground train from Waterloo to Winchester.  You can plan and cost your journey via the Transport For London.
National Express Coach There is a National Express coach that runs from Terminals 2 and 3 to Winchester. Please make sure to select Winchester, not Winchester (Festivals). You can plan and cost your journey via National Express.

Orientation and Socials

Our Support teams are here to help students find their way around the University and settle in. This includes arrivals and airport pickup, to enrolment and orientation sessions in welcome week and throughout your first year.

We publish the international welcome programme on the student web portal as soon as it is available, usually from 1 August each year.

US Federal Loans

We administer U.S. Federal aid to American students attending the University of Winchester who meet the relevant policy requirements. This page holds links to key information and policies which apply.

Winchester University's Federal School Code is: G021497

OPE-ID: 02149700

The University of Winchester participates in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (Federal Direct Loans).These provide funding to Students from the USA to cover tuition fees and living expenses, subject to approval by Student Services. Please be aware we are unable to support funding for every course.

The University of Winchester is only authorised to provide Federal Student Aid for full Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral programmes with study entirely at the University of Winchester or shared between the University and another higher education institution that is also authorised to provide Federal Student Aid. No part of a student’s programme can take place in the United States or it will terminate their Federal Aid. Certificates of Higher Education, Foundation Degrees/Associate Degrees, Graduate Certificates, and Graduate Diplomas, are not eligible for Federal Student Aid. Programmes studied in part at another higher education institution that is not authorised to provide Federal Student Aid are not eligible for Federal Student Aid for any part of the programme, including the part studied at University of Winchester. Programmes that are self-directed, distance learning or by correspondence, in whole or in part are not eligible for Federal Student Aid.

We calculate and approve the level of federal student loans available to you as a U.S. national, through the U.S. Dept of Education. This is calculated in line with regulations using a cost of attendance calculation, in advance of you arriving at the University of Winchester.

Once you have arrived and enrolled this is drawn down from the U.S. Government through the COD system in stages and disbursed to you, subject to satisfactory attendance and academic progress. 

Origination fee

The origination fee is a charge made by the US Department of Education (USDE) to cover the administrative charges related to your loan. For information on origination fees charged by the USDE please see Student Aid.

Please note: the loan origination fee is subject to change by the USDE.

The University of Winchester does not charge any loan fees. The USDE funds received by the University are converted into the equivalent GBP according to the daily exchange rate. Fluctuations in exchange rates cannot be used to increase the Cost of Attendance.

Interest rates

Please visit the Federal Student Aid website for details on current interest rates for direct loans.

Disclaimer

Students on any program based in the US, any unit of a program based in the US, on study leave based in the US, are not eligible for Direct Loans. This is non-negotiable and is a regulation set by the US Department of Education not the University of Winchester.

Not all University of Winchester programmes are eligible for US Loans e.g. diploma courses, courses funded by the National Health Service (NHS) and students studying their course through distance learning.

In addition students undertaking a study-abroad or work placement year for any programme type would not be eligible for US Federal Aid on their placement year.

For further help

If you have any queries regarding the above process please contact our international student advisor using the related links.

If you need to contact the US Dept of Education call

  • 1-800-557-7394
  • 1-800-4-FED-AID (800 433-3243)

Vaccination Advice

Information from Public Health England for international students can be found on the NHS website.

Study Abroad

Incoming

The University welcomes applications from all study abroad students who wish to study at the University of Winchester for a period of one semester or a study abroad year. Study Abroad students include Visiting (fee paying) and exchange students. Normally students must be at least 18 years of age on 31 December of the year of admission. Students should be registered on a recognised programme of study at a university or higher education institution.

Application deadlines:

• For semester 1, 2023/24 – applications must be received by 25 May 2023
• For semester 2, 2023/24 – applications must be received by 26 October 2023

All applications must be 2.8 minimum Grade Point Average (GPA).

For further information regarding incoming study abroad, please visit: Incoming exchange students - University of Winchester 

Contact Details

Email: studyabroad@winchester.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1962 827404
Address:
Study Abroad
International Student Success Team
University of Winchester
Sparkford Road
Winchester
Hampshire
England, UK
SO22 4NR

Outgoing

Study abroad allows you to spend part of your university course studying overseas at one of our partner universities in the USA, Canada or Europe.

Alternatively, there is the opportunity for shorter term study trips organised by your course at Winchester.

Exchanges

An exchange means that you spend an extended period studying at a partner university. At Winchester this is for a full semester in your 2nd year. A full semester immerses you in the culture of the country and the life of the overseas university.

We offer financial support to eligible students. You will continue to pay tuition fees to Winchester and no tuition fees are paid to your host (which is often much cheaper than if you were to study there independantly).

Short term trips

Short term vsits - or Field Trips - are an intensive overseas experience for students and staff lasting up to two weeks. This could be visiting a partner university or organisation, or a trip that travels abroad.

Recent examples of trips include the American Studies Field Trip to the South Western United States and National Parks, the US Civil Rights Pilgrimage which follows the tracks of the Freedom Riders; the Choreography and Dance performance trip to partner universities in the USA; Film Production students have visited the Berlin and Cannes Film Festivals, Education students have taken part in student conference in Latvia and a Children's Book Project in Belgium.

For further information regarding incoming study abroad, please visit: Studying abroad as part of your degree.

Email: globalmobility@winchester.ac.uk

Telephone: +44 (0)1962 827404

Address:
Study Abroad
International Student Success Team
University of Winchester
Sparkford Road
Winchester
Hampshire
England, UK
SO22 4NR

Academic Support for international students

This is provided through the English Language Teaching and Support unit (ELTSU). Academic English Support (AES) is available for students for whom English is a second language. Tutors are available to provide help with academic reading, writing, speaking and listening, as well as vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and discourse – longer texts, which are a feature of university reading. One-to-one appointments of 30 minutes with an English language tutor, either face to face or via Teams, allow sessions to be tailored to individual student needs. This could mean working on drafts for written assignments, developing strategies for reading academic texts effectively, preparing for presentations, or understanding assignment briefs or feedback from lecturers. The support is available to all students.

In order to book an appointment, please enrol on the Academic English Support page on Canvas by following this link: https://winchester.instructure.com/enroll/8M9EPE 

Once you have enrolled, just follow the guidance on how to book an appointment.

If you have problems with enrolment or you cannot find an appointment that suits you, please contact us eltsu@winchester.ac.uk and we will help you.

The ELTSU experience

Our programmes

ELTSU also offer a suite of programmes for international students, which cover a range of needs. Our programmes include:

If you have any questions, please contact eltsu@winchester.ac.uk

In-sessional academic English support

Academic English support is available for students for whom English is a second language throughout the year. Tutors are available to provide help with academic reading, writing, speaking and listening, as well as vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and discourse – longer texts, which are a feature of university reading. One-to-one appointments of 30 minutes with an English language tutor allow sessions to be tailored to individual student needs. This could mean working on drafts for written assignments, developing strategies for reading academic texts effectively, preparing for presentations, or understanding assignment briefs or feedback from tutors. The support is available to undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Academic English Support tutorials and appointments can be booked on Canvas.

Email: eltsu@winchester.ac.uk.uk

Telephone: +44(0)1962 841515

Additional Academic Support and Study Mentoring

Students can also join the University’s SMART Buddy (Academic Skills Student Mentoring) scheme. As part of the scheme, students have weekly meetings with a specially selected and trained student mentor who can help with the challenges of university study, and give practical advice on developing the written and spoken English skills that are important for academic study.

Academic Skills support from the Academic Skills Team may also be helpful for International students who have English as a first language. Who would like some help adjusting to academic study in the UK Academic skills - University of Winchester.

Contact Details

Email: academicskills@winchester.ac.uk

studymentoring@winchester.ac.uk

Get in touch for International Support

This may be your first time travelling alone, or your first time far away from your home country. Please don't worry if you have questions or feel apprehensive, please just ask for help by contacting us.

Tel: +44(0)1962 827482


Email: international.support@winchester.ac.uk