Study

Study FAQ

 

Once your award has been confirmed, the most important thing to get right at the very beginning is your course of study. We take great care to ensure that you are on a course appropriate to your specific needs. The process can take time and your British Council contacts will be happy to help you at each stage of the process.

 

What if I want to change my course or amend my programme?

Question
What if I want to change my course or amend my programme?

Answer
Changing courses may be difficult or impossible. It is, therefore, very important that you study carefully the programme or prospectuses at an early stage and seek advice, if necessary, before agreeing finally on a particular course of study.

If you are still in your home country and decide you do want to change courses, you must immediately consult your British Council contact. If you are in the UK, you must discuss the matter with your tutor and your British Council contact in the UK. There is no guarantee that you will be able to change courses.

Question
I am worried that my English might not be good enough for me to complete my course successfully. What should I do?

Answer
If English is not your first language then you should have taken and passed an IELTS or TOEFL English Language examination in order for you to be accepted by your university.

All UK Further and Higher Education institutions recognise the IELTS test and for each course, there is a minimum IELTS score required for entry. IELTS (International English Language Testing Service) is a comprehensive test of English language proficiency designed to assess the language ability of candidates who need to study in countries where English is the language of communication.

All candidates are tested in listening, reading, writing and speaking and you get a score which reflects your ability. You can sit an IELTS test at your local British Council office. If the result shows that your English needs a little bit of work to get to the required entry standard for the course of your choice, ask the English Language Centre at the British Council for advice on what you need to do.

If however you are struggling with your course then you should alert your course tutor immediately. Universities often offer additional 'English Language for Academic Purposes' courses for international scholars. Your scholarship will normally cover the costs (although many courses are free of charge) but you should inform The British Council before making any financial commitment.
 

Question
I need to go on a study visit as part of my course - Am I entitled to funding?

Answer
This may depend upon whether the university informed the British Council at the placing stage if study visits were an essential part of your course. Your Award Administrator can check whether funding has been allocated for this purpose.You should write a letter of application to your award administrator stating why, where, when and the costs involved (including fees, travel and accommodation etc.) You will have to obtain a supporting letter from your supervisor stating that it is essential for the successful completion of your award.

The award administrator will then inform you if funds are available. All receipts and tickets should be retained for reimbursement purposes. It is important that plans/bookings are not made until approval from The British Council has been given.

It is unlikely that a study visit will be granted if it has not been agreed earlier in the academic year.

Question
What about if I need to return home for field work for my dissertation. Can I be funded for this?

Answer
Probably not. You can submit a letter from your tutor explaining why it is imperative that you do this and why it cannot be done in the UK. Send the letter to your award administrator who will then pursue with the BC office in your home country. Materials etc. should be brought with you from your home country where feasible.

Question
I am not going to be able to finish my course by the end date of my award. What can I do?

Answer
Discuss the matter with your supervisor and draw up a timetable of work needed to be completed. You then need to send this with a letter requesting an extension of your award to your award administrator.

You should also include a supporting letter from your supervisor outlining any extra costs which may be involved. Your award administrator will inform you whether your request has been successful.

Extensions should not be taken for granted and are not always approved. You should, therefore, carry on with your studies and aim to finish on time. But, if you are successful, you may need to apply for an extension of "leave to remain" from the Home Office.

 

Question
I am doing an MSc but my supervisor says my work is good enough for me to continue to PhD level. Can I change?

Answer
You should not change to a different course or to a higher level of study without first finding out whether you are permitted to do so from your award administrator. It is highly unlikely that you would be allowed to change from, a Masters to a PhD, especially since this might mean a two year extension of award.

If you do wish to submit a request you will need to write a letter of application and include a letter from the university confirming that you had been offered a PhD place giving details of dates and costs involved etc. In the meantime, you should continue as normal with the MSc. It is important before you accept a place for a PhD that you get permission from your employer back home to continue your stay/studies in the UK.

If they do not agree, you may not stay. You would need to re-apply through the British Embassy or High Commission in your home country if you wanted to be considered for further Chevening funding, but you must realise that it is extremely rare that they fund PhD work. You will also need to look for other sources of funding for your stay. Check with your tutors to see if they know of any funds relevant to your subject area, about alternative sources of funding.

Remember that it is a condition of your Chevening scholarship that you return home at the end of your award and so you need the permission of the British Embassy or High Commission in you home country to remain in the UK.