Britain
Greek students in Britain make up the largest contingent of foreign pupils. According to statistics produced by the British Council in Greece, during the academic year 2001-2002, 12,603 Greek students went to undergraduate courses in British universities and 13,071 attended postgraduate courses. All together, 25,674 Greeks studied at British universities, composing 11 percent of foreign undergraduate and postgraduate students in Britain. The size of the Greek student population in old Albion is made clear by the fact that second after Greece is China, with 17,682 students (9,202 undergraduates and 8,480 postgraduates), who constitute 7.6 percent of foreign students in the country. What does a prospective student have to do to enter a British university? Until mid-September, most universities use the clearing system. Educational institutes publish empty places in various schools and interested parties are invited to submit applications. Available places can be found on the website www.ucas.com. Fees are calculated according to the income of the candidate or his family and range from free entry to 1,125 pounds (1,750 euros). Universities are free, explained British Council employee Katerina Fengarou, when tax returns show family income does not exceed 33,750 euros. An income between 33,750 and 48,420 euros means the student pays partial fees. Full fees are paid if the family’s income comes to over 48,420 euros. In Scottish universities, 3,100 pounds (4,825 euros) are payable at the end of first-degree courses. The cost of living varies according to where (and of course, how) a student wants to live. London is the most expensive city in Britain, with an estimated cost of living in the region of 7,000-8,000 pounds (10,900-12,500 euros) for each academic year. This drops to 5,500-6,000 pounds (8,500-9,630 euros) per academic year for areas outside London. There are many colleges in Greece that are not recognized by the Constitution as tertiary education institutes but which collaborate with British universities. Many Greeks prefer to do some of the coursework at a Greek college before completing it in a British university. But the Greek State – due to the constitutional stumbling block – does not recognize the Greek portion of the studies. As a result, graduates will not be able to obtain academic recognition of the degree they finally obtain from a British university. For more information, interested parties can apply to the British Council (17 Kolonaki Sq, Athens tel 210.369.2333; and 9 Ethnikis Amynis, Thessaloniki tel 2310.378.300). Other useful information can be obtained at the sites www.hotcourses.com/ucas (for vocational higher education), www.ucas.com and www.ucas.co.uk/access (for degree studies). Information on postgraduate studies exists on the sites www.postgrad.hobsons.com, www.prospects.ac.uk and www.mba.org.uk. Finally, information on the evaluation of British universities can be found at www.qaa.ac.uk (for undergraduate courses) and www.hero.ac.uk/rae (for postgraduate courses).
