Frequently Asked Questions

UK Programs

Do I Need A Visa To Study In Britain?
Entry requirements into Britain depend on where you are coming from. To find out what you need, please visit http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk.

What Do My Program Fees Cover?
Your program fees will cover placement in a carefully selected host family, placement in school, welcome and farewell orientations, the services of a student coordinator and excursions to places of interest. They do not cover the cost of flights or insurance.

How Much Money Do I Need To Bring?
We recommend that you bring a minimum of £250 per month spending money. You will need to buy personal items like bus or train tickets, snacks, toiletries or credit for your mobile phone. You will probably want to go shopping or the cinema, visit some tourist attractions and buy souvenirs, which means you need enough money to pay for things like transport, entrance fees and gifts.

Can I Drink Alcohol?
It is against the law to buy alcohol in Britain if you are less than 18 years old.

Can I Drive A Car?
You must be over 17 years old and have a licence and insurance. Britain is one of few countries in the world where people drive on the left hand side of the road, so you will probably be unused to our highway code, and we prefer it if you do not drive a car or motorbike.

Can I Travel In The UK?
We will allow you to travel to places of cultural or educational interest if you provide us with your itinerary and written permission from your parents.

Can I get a job in England?
If you are travelling on an EU passport you are free to get a part time job in Britain. We allow you to work part time if you are 20 years old.

Living With Host Families

Will I Have My Own Room?
Most students have their own bedroom, but if joining a larger family, you will be told in advance if you have to share.

What Meals Will My Host Family Provide?
At the very least, your host family will provide you with food for you to make your own breakfast and packed lunch to take to school, and they will prepare an evening meal for you.

Where Will I Wash My Clothes?
In most cases, you will have to do your own washing and ironing. However, every host family will have a washing machine, iron and ironing board and airing cupboard, and many will have a tumble dryer. They will let you know how and when to use these facilities.

Does My Host Family Have A Computer With Access To The Internet?
Most host families do have a computer with Internet access, but a large number do not. Using their internet can run up expensive bills, so we prefer you to use the computers at school or the local library. From here, you can email and search the Internet. Often, computers in school are more powerful and have higher speed connections to the Internet than personal computers at home.

What food do UK host families eat?
British families do not eat lots of potatoes or junk food. In England we enjoy a varied diet. In England we are encouraged to eat healthy food and to cut down on our meat. We enjoy foods from all around the world and do not eat typical English food every day. We like to eat foods from Mexico, India, and Italy. Our main family meal of the week is on Sunday. We usually eat meat, served with potatoes and vegetables. Most UK host families will eat their main evening meal between 5pm and 7pm. If we are hungry later on in the evening then we have supper. Supper is usually a hot drink with a sweet snack.