Nigerian Students Looking to Study in the UK

In the city of London alone, there are nearly 3,000 students from Nigeria that are studying a course at a world-renowned university in the capital of England, in fact, many Nigerian students are starting to outnumber Indian graduates in terms of applications! The draw of the UK is hardly surprising, but for students coming from Nigeria, there are a number of entry requirements and various elements that need to be considered before studying in the UK, which we have compared below. There has been an increase in Nigerian students looking to study in the UK, so we've got some great advice for you, right here.

Applying for Housing for Nigerian Students:

Applying for housing can be a little difficult, regardless of where you’re for, even UK students struggle to find accommodation, so don’t be put off! Students that are moving for Nigeria, should consult the SAND, which is the Students Association of Nigerians in Diaspora, which aims to help students that are studying abroad and can help with accommodation and with fees or bursaries that you may decide to apply for. When you come to the UK, you’ll need to make sure that you get into contact with the UK team of SAND and find out what you need to know!

Qualifications that Are Accepted by UK Universities:

If you’ve graduated from the Nigerian education system, then you may be required to complete a year of International Foundation before a university will consider your application. However the requirements for studying in the UK will very much depend on the university that you have applied to, but most universities will accept a Senior School Certificate (SSCE) or a West African Senior School Certificate (WAEC), although this can differ depending on what university you apply to and can also depend on the area of the UK you are applying to. Experience at any Nigerian universities can also be considered too, but you need to have achieved a certain level and GPA (Grade Point Average) in order to apply, this also applies to a Diploma of Higher Education.

Applying through UCAS:

In order to get into a university in the UK, you will need to apply through a charity known as UCAS. UCAS will require you to have a personal statement and will require you to have all of your educational history, accurately and truthfully represented on your UCAS Application.

A personal statement is something that a lot of people struggle with, so if you’re struggling you can look online for what to include in a personal statement, and you can go from there. We recommend that if you’re really struggling, that you use a Personal Statement Editor, which can help you with writing your statement and give you useful information along the way!

The Finances:

The finances involved with UK universities can be rather high and can cover a number of different things Traditionally, you will be paid a Maintenance Loan, every term or every semester that will see you through and will provide you with the means to buy textbooks, food, drink and generally survive. For Nigerian students, you will need to look into the UK finance sector for universities and see what bursaries or grants are available for you if indeed there are any and see what you can have contributed to your time there, although many universities will also contribute money towards students for the EU and further international as well. It isn’t cheap being at a UK university.

So there you have it! Four things to consider for studying at a university in the UK, something that can help you and something that can stand you in good stead for when and if you apply to a UK university. Be sure to keep looking online if you’re worried about what to do; there is plenty of help available for Nigerian students looking to study in the UK and most of all, good luck!