Living Costs
Living costs are calculated for visa purposes as being £800 per month for students who live outside of London.
If you are on a course of 12 months or over, you need to show that you have living costs for nine months (ie £800 x 9 = £7200), in addition to the tuition fees for the first year of your course, when you make your visa application.
Most of our accommodation contracts in Halls of Residence are for 42 weeks (10.5 months). The money that you will actually require during the year will therefore need to be adjusted accordingly.
We have given a few examples of typical costs below to give you some guidance.
| Estimated minimum living costs in Bradford 2012/2013 | 42 weeks | 51 weeks |
| Accommodation depending on type | £2100 to £4314* | £2550 to £5239* |
| Food, toiletries and laundry (based on GBP35 per week) | £1680 | £2040 |
| Books, stationery, photocopying and printing | £420 | £510 |
| Insurance for personal possessions | £70** | £70** |
| Local travel - if required (based on £10 per week) | £420 | £510 |
| Set up costs | £300 | £300 |
| Estimated minimum total for guidance only | £4990 to £7204 | £5980 to £8669 |
* Accommodation may be in Halls of Residence (standard rooms or ensuite rooms available) or in private housing. Halls of Residence rents usually include all utility bills. Rent in private housing are generally for room only, and costs of utility bills are additional. Please check with your accommodation provider for further details.
** Insurance for personal possessions is included in Halls of Residence rent. Rent in private houses does not include this insurance, and this cost should be included in your budget planning.
Don't forget to budget for other costs and the time of year
The costs given above are estimates and do not include any money for mobile phone/telephone costs, leisure activities, or initial set up costs of bedding, kitchen equipment and warm clothing. These expenses will vary from one student to another according to your lifestyle and circumstances. Remember that you will need additional money to cover these costs.
The amount of money that you need also varies according to the time of year. At the start of the academic year you will need to have access to enough money to pay accommodation deposits and rents (it is best to pay these in advance), and also to buy items that you need when you first arrive such as books, stationery, warm winter clothing, bedding and kitchen equipment.
Arrange some reserve funding
We would advise you to arrange to have additional reserve funding available to you, to take account of any possible changes of circumstances (such as a change in the exchange rate or situations in your home country) or unforeseen personal problems. If you are being funded from your home country, you will need to make sure that your money can be sent to you regularly.
International student calculator tool
You can use the online International Student Calculator tool at www.studentcalculator.org.uk/international/ to help you budget for your living expenses.
Food shopping
The multi cultural nature of our city means that you are likely to be able to buy many food items that you are familiar with. For an idea of how much you can expect to pay for basic groceries in the UK, please see www.mysupermarket.co.uk
Living costs for a family
Visa regulations allow postgraduate students and government sponsored students on courses of 12 months or more to apply for a visa for their spouse and children to join them in the UK for the duration of their study. If this applies to you, please remember that additional funding will be required.
For living expenses for a family we would estimate that you would need an additional
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£4500 for your spouse (minimum)
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£2300 for each child (minimum)
You would also need additional money for accommodation and set up costs.
For visa purposes, living costs for dependants are calculated at £450 per month per dependant, up to a maximum of 9 months.
