Questions:
Does LVC offer financial support?
What is LVC's required level of entry?
Can I get exemption from one or more units of a course?
Will my tuition fees be refunded if my application for a student visa is refused?
Can I pay my fees by instalments?
How can I pay my tuition fees directly to LVC?
What if I reach the UK too late for the start of the course?
How many lectures will I have per week?
Airports
Where and when do I need to arrive?
What kind of library access is available?
Should I bring all my textbooks with me?
What kind of clothes do I need to bring?/What is the dress code?
Will computing facilities be available for me to use?
What currency can I use in the UK?
How can I find out what the exchange rate is?
Do I need to take out insurance?
What level of English do I need to come to LVC?
For further information on language qualifications
Does LVC offer financial support?
We do not currently offer any form of sponsorship or scholarship programme. However, we sponsor one student per semester selected through board of academics. The selection based on grades and work experience of candidate. (Subject to terms and conditions).
What is LVC's required level of entry?
Once your application has been assessed, you will be offered a level of study, which we feel is suitable to your experience and qualifications .However, if you have not included all of your qualifications in your application or if you have relevant work experience that may lead to a higher level of entry then please submit any additional evidence to support your application. To find out more about our entry requirements please see our admission eligibility.
Can I get exemption from one or more units of a course?
Depending on the course of study and prior qualifications you may be able to apply for exemption. Once you begin your studies, College staff will be available to offer advice and guidance on how to go about applying for exemptions.
Will my tuition fees be refunded if my application for a student visa is refused?
Whilst tuition fees are not normally refundable, if a prospective overseas student is unable to obtain a student visa and can submit written evidence of the refusal (British Immigration form) LVC will contact concern embassy to confirm your refusal before refund. Tuition fees will be refunded in full (minus the £250 registration fee).
Can I pay my fees by installments?
An extra £50 per term is payable if this method is chosen. To calculate the fee for a course for example, simply add £150 to the full year fee and divide the total by three. The same formula can be applied for all courses.
How can I pay my tuition fees directly to LVC?
Tuition fees may be paid either directly to the College by cheque, or cash, or sent from overseas by bankers draft or telegraphic transfer. Banker's drafts should be made payable to LVC and sent by courier or registered post to ensure security. When sending funds by telegraphic transfer, the sending bank will require the following LVC bank details:
Account Name: Lea Valley College
Bank Name: Natwest Bank Plc
Account Number 12613983
Sort Code: 60 10 34
Swift Code: NWBK GB2L
IBAN: GB50NWBK60103412613983
What if I reach the UK too late for the start of the course?
College regulations state that we are able to accept students up to two week after the start of lectures, which means that you should be in a position to commence your studies by the second Monday following the published start date. If you can reach London by then ask us for a letter to that effect so the British Embassy or High Commission are aware that we can accommodate you. Please bear in mind that if you choose to join us as a late entrant you will need to work very hard to make up the lost time. However, we will of course provide you with photocopies of the notes and handouts from the classes you have missed. If you are unable to join us by that time, your place will be transferred automatically to the next course start.
How many lectures will I have per week?
Your timetable will be issued to you on registration day or soon after. All full time courses are made up of at least 6 lectures per week each lasting 3 hours. Therefore you will always have a minimum of 18 hours of classes per week in total.
Airports
London Heathrow is closest to LVC (only 45 minutes away by coach). Everything you need to know about London's Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick airports, including which airlines travel to them and how to get from each airport to Cambridge, should be available from the BAA web site: http://www.baa.com.
Meeting at the Airport:
We can arrange to meet you at the following airports: Heathrow/Gatwick/Bristol - at an extra charge.
You will then be driven to your accommodation.
If you want us to meet you at the airport, please complete the arrival form and send it to us. Please contact us urgently if you have not received confirmation from us.
Where and when do I need to arrive?
When you arrive you should go to LVC or other accommodation. Please note that College Porters will direct you to your room but are not able to help with luggage. Dates and times for your programme are provided once you have been accepted.
What kind of library access is available?
The College Library, containing books purchased from recommendations made on the course booklists, is available as a lending library for all participants in the International Schools. Students undertaking written work for evaluation by LVC may be given access to some of the faculty libraries and to the University Library, for reading/reference purposes only. Students who are not taking written work for evaluation by LVC, but can demonstrate a personal research necessity, can gain access to the University Library upon payment of a ?10 fee to the Summer Schools office.
Should I bring all my textbooks with me?
If you are undertaking evaluation you should bring any books relevant to your essay(s). Otherwise core texts and reference texts may be useful. London is rich in bookshops so any additional texts you wish to purchase are likely to be readily available.
What kind of clothes do I need to bring?/What is the dress code?
You need to be prepared for both sunshine and rain. A waterproof jacket or umbrella will be useful as well as a warm jumper or jacket in addition to summer clothes. A good suggestion is to wear layers in order to adapt quickly to the changing climate. Dress is informal for classes, however, you may not wear shorts in the dining halls, and baseball caps must be removed in College. In addition, you might like to bring a smart outfit for the college closing dinner and appropriate clothes for social events held during the programme.
Will computing facilities be available for me to use?
LVC provide adequate computer facility for you to access. Please be aware that the School’s computing facilities are not 24 hours, so you will need to plan your work carefully. If you bring a laptop computer with you, please note that the Computing Service cannot offer any technical support and voltage differences between the UK and your home country may cause problems. Laptops may be useful for word processing essays, but you will not be able to access the Internet or e-mail services from your college room. All laptops must be fully insured. The School cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to laptop computers.
What currency can I use in the UK?
The only currency that is in circulation as legal tender in the UK is Pounds Sterling (). It may be possible to use Euros in a few selected shops but please assume that you will have to use pounds sterling elsewhere.
How can I find out what the exchange rate is?
If you go to http://www.exchangerate.com, there is an easy to use currency calculator. For those of you with limited internet access, you can check with any bank or travel agents.
Do I need to take out insurance?
The short answer to this is yes! Every year we are surprised to find that many of our students have not taken out any travel insurance and deeply regret it! It is essential that you do so, just in case something happens, like you lose your camera, your luggage goes missing or you have to arrive later or depart earlier in unforeseen circumstances. More seriously, you might fall ill during your stay. Your country may have a reciprocal arrangement with the UK so that your medical care is free - we will supply details of this if you have applied. If it does not, it is essential that you take out medical insurance to cover you during your stay.
Finally, please make sure that your insurance covers you if you have to leave the College unexpectedly: we cannot refund your tuition fees and the colleges are unlikely to refund accommodation fees. We want to make sure that you will be able to claim these charges and not be out of pocket if you have to leave.
What level of English do I need to come to LVC?
All teaching for LVC is in English. Applicants must satisfy themselves and the organizers of LVC that their English is of a standard high enough for them to be able to understand and follow arguments presented in fluent English at university level. In order for you to gain the most from your time at LVC, we are asking all applicants whose first language is not English to have TOEFL 600, CBT TOEFL 250, Cambridge CAE (grade C or above), IELTS 5.5, or proof that you have achieved an equivalent level of competence. If you are currently at a University where all lectures are given in English, a TOEFL qualification or equivalent is not necessary. However, you must be confident that you will be able to understand university lectures and discussions in English. You should state this experience on the application form.
We ask you to indicate on the application form your most recent English language proficiency score (IELTS, TOEFL or other), and to send original or certified copies of documents in support of this. Bilingual students, or those with no recent formal qualifications but a high standard of fluency, should indicate this on the form. We shall contact you for clarification if necessary.
For further information on language qualifications please see the relevant web site:
ARELS www.arels.org.uk
IELTS www.ielts.org
TOEFL www.toefl.org
Cambridge CAE www.cambridge-efl.org
UCLES www.ucles.org.uk
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