Prospective students

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I wanted to visit St Andrews - how can I do this?

We have adapted all our visiting options (visiting days and the daily talk and tour) to be delivered virtually. You can find out how to book on the visiting section of our website. You can also email your questions to visitingdays@st-andrews.ac.uk. 

• I am expecting to attend an Access & Widening Participation Outreach event and/ or Summer School – is this still going ahead?

  Are access programmes continuing?

  Until further notice we will be offering a revised programme of Access & Widening Participation activities and Summer Schools in a range of virtual formats. 

  Admissions staff are in contact with all pupils currently involved in these programmes.  

  If you have further questions or you think you should have been contacted, please email schools.access@st-andrews.ac.uk and we will provide you with more tailored guidance.

   

• Can I still apply for SAAS funding?

  A guide to student finance in Scotland and up-to-date information relating to how to apply as well as how SAAS are addressing the ever-evolving situation with Coronavirus can be obtained from Student Information Scotland.

• Will dual mode delivery mean tuition fees for taught programmes are reduced?

  No. The University is committed to delivering parity in quality of study and student experience for all students. For any period of time that you may need to spend engaging with your learning remotely, parity of tuition fees will also apply and there will be no adjustment to tuition fees.

  The university’ s priority is to transition to face to face learning as soon as it is safe and possible to do. This may mean that for some of the learning activities students will engage remotely. As it is likely that various social distancing measures will be in place and students will be joining us at different stages, we have committed to dual delivery (both on line and face to face) as long as it takes to have all our students here.

  The university is committed to ensuring parity for students engaging remotely in terms of content, intensity, learning outcomes and academic development. Your access to academic staff is equivalent and where necessary, additional support has been put in place to support you academically.

  You will also be able to access essential Library materials as if you were studying in St Andrews, and we are currently enhancing access to on-line resources further. Regardless of where you are studying, full Student Services support is available to you across all aspect of university life. Additionally, as far as possible you will be able to engage with student societies, halls of residence communities and events.

  While we will support our students to transition effectively between the different methods of engagement, our objective is to integrate our community and ensure that as soon as it is safe and sensible to do, students can join us in St Andrews.

• What do I have to do prior to/upon entering or returning to the UK?

  From 8th June 2020 all those entering or returning to the UK will be required to provide journey and contact details prior to travelling to the UK and self-isolate in the place that you are staying for 14 days.

  You can provide your journey and contact details by completing the form at https://www.gov.uk/provide-journey-contact-details-before-travel-uk but it cannot be submitted until 48 hours prior to your arrival.  You will  be required to show this form when you arrive at the UK border, either by printing a copy or showing it on your phone.  The Government will use this information to contact you should you or someone you have travelled with develops symptoms and also to ensure that you are self-isolating for the required 14 days after arrival in the UK.

  There are different self-isolation rules and penalties depending on where you are travelling to and links to the guidance which is relevant to you can be found at https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control.

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• I have an offer to start studying in September, may I defer my place?

  For those who may be unable to travel to join us for induction on 7 September, and the start of teaching on 14 September, we will provide comprehensive tuition remotely, and a smooth transition to the classroom on joining us in St Andrews once travel restrictions are lifted.

  We realise however, that the ​Coronavirus crisis may have changed your undergraduate study plans. Requests for deferral will be considered sympathetically on a case by case basis. You ​​will need to give a good reason for deferral and support your request with as much evidence as possible, for example, cancellation or delay of exams at your previous institution or financial implications resulting from the crisis.

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• What if I do not receive my visa in time?

  We hope you will be able to obtain your visa and arrive in time for classes starting on September 14 and we are doing all we can to support this. If you are not able to, do not worry, teaching at St Andrews next semester will be a blend of traditional, in-person classes, pre-recorded content and live, interactive online provision. This means that you will be able to start your studies online and receive the same high standard of teaching wherever you are in the world and then travel to St Andrews to commence face-to-face teaching as soon as you are able to.

• I got my entry visa, how long is this valid for?

  The visa you received in your passport is a single-entry visa, allowing you to enter the UK before your course start date so you can collect your BRP card (your Student visa). This visa validity has been extended to 90 days, allowing you more time to enter the UK if you have suffered a delay.

• I received a visa but my CAS had a latest entry date of 7th October, what if I can only arrive after this date?

  If you have experienced delays in securing your visa due to the current pandemic and can only arrive after 7 October 2020, do not worry. Please contact visas@st-andrews.ac.uk to notify them of your new arrival date and we will make sure the UKVI are aware that you will be arriving after the stated latest entry date.

• I’ve been told that I need to pick up a BRP card within 10 days of my arrival, how will this work if I have to quarantine?

  The UKVI have introduced some flexibility to this rule and they are not enforcing it in the current circumstances. We will therefore not return your BRP card if you are not able to pick  it up within 10 days of your arrival. 

  You will be given an appointment to complete the required document checks and pick up your BRP card when you complete online matriculation. Further information about this can be found on the matriculation web page.

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I am the parent or family member of a prospective student - what should I do?

You are supporting someone to make an informed decision on university. You and your family may have planned to spend the spring visiting some college and universities. The coronavirus has made this whole process a bit chaotic. We know this is not a normal year. There's never a good time for a pandemic. 

We are here to help.  

We know you may not be able to visit us (just yet). We are working hard to make sure that even if you can't visit us in person, you can still meet us and get a sense of the university and town. 

We have adapted all our visiting options (visiting days and the daily talk and tour) to be delivered virtually. Online, you will meet with experienced staff who will answer any questions you have about the application process and life in St Andrews. 

We want to offer you a variety of sources to make an informed decision by connecting you with current students and our alumni. 

Our incredible alumni and current students across the globe have offered to help by sharing their own personal experiences of studying and at living in St Andrews. If you are interested in virtually meeting alumni or a student ambassador, please email admissions@st-andrews.ac.uk.