Frequently asked questions
Got a question about studying with ARU College?
ARU College offer pathways into Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), meaning that even if you don’t meet ARU’s entry requirements there’s another option for you to start your studies with us, either on foundation, supported first year or pre-masters, depending on the qualifications you hold.
Yes, from day one. ARU College operates as a faculty of the University and so once you enroll with us, you will be an ARU student with access to all the same facilities and services as direct ARU students and you will be provided with an ARU ID card.
If you start at foundation level (otherwise known as Level 3 or Year 0), your course will take 4 years to complete.
First year entrants your degree will take 3 years and for a Pre-masters your course will take 15-18 months depending on when you start.
Our foundation is a preparatory year that helps students develop the skills to be successful at undergraduate study with ARU. Our foundation programme is tailored to the ARU curriculum and active learning pedagogy.
Yes, if you are a UK or EU student Student Finance England will cover foundation level studies. To apply for Student Finance for your foundation just search for ARU on the Student Finance online application and choose your course with ‘extended’ which indicates foundation level (or 4 years of study).
If you have applied to SFE for another institution you will need to complete a Change of Circumstance (CoC) in order to change the institution. It may be possible for us to do this on your behalf, but that depends whether your previous institution has withdrawn you or not.
If you are an international student you will need to self-finance, or obtain financial assistance locally either through government support, employer support of educational loan.
You will be provided with a transcript of your studies, but you will not be awarded a standalone qualification. The only qualification you get will be when you complete your full degree or masters with ARU.
In a foundation you complete one module worth 120 credits, which is made up of 8 elements (subjects). Each element has 3 assessments.
To find out more about which elements you will study during your foundation please see www.arucollege.com and choose the subject area of interest to view the course structure.
You will undertake 3 assessments per element, each assessment with a 50% weighting. The two assessments with the highest scores will be used towards your final grade.
Each element will have a range of assessment types, so during your foundation you will likely complete tests, exams, course work, group work and presentations.
ARU College offer an integrated supported First Year entry point for EU and International students interested in studying with ARU.
This enables students that just miss the entry requirement of the University to still complete a degree in 3 years. Students will have additional contact hours and support provided by ARU College during the first year of studies.
If you are an EU or International student and start your studies with ARU College at Foundation level in most cases* you will progress to the integrated First Year supported by ARU College.
*This is not the case for any UK students, or students completing any of the following degrees:
- BSc Nursing studies
- BSc Social Work
- BOptom Optometry
- BA Architecture
No, whether you’re studying a foundation, first year or Pre-masters there is no need to reapply after you have completed your studies. The offer you receive will be for the full degree, so all you need to do is to pass each year in order to progress to the next, this includes once you finish with ARU College and progress to ARU.
If you’re a UK or EU student and interested in Social Work or Nursing, following completion of the foundation there will be additional progression requirements in order to progress to the accredited programme with ARU. If you have questions about these progression requirements for social work or nursing, please contact us.
Our tuition fees are outlined on our fees pages.
Depending on the course you’re studying there may be additional costs involved for materials. Any additional costs are outlined on the ARU course page, linked from our website.
Foundation level fees for Home or EU students are £9,250 per year.
We advise all students to apply as early as possible to give yourself maximum time to prepare for studying. However, we will continue to accept new applications through August for entry into September and until early December for entry into our January intake.
If you are an international student on a student route visa you can work a maximum of 20 hours per week during term time.
If you are a UK or EU student there is no cap on working hours, however, please remember that you will be studying full-time and so expected to be completing around 37 hours per week studying.
We will be offering all our courses in September 2020 both online and face to face, for those able to travel to the UK. For more information please see our September delivery plans page.
However, please be aware that from 5th January the UK Government announced a UK wide stay home order, which means that the January trimester will only start online, with a view to move to face to face delivery as soon as we’re able to, for the students interested in this study mode.
If you are a UK citizen or from outside of the EU your studies will not be impacted at all.
If you are an EU citizen and you start your studies in September 2020 or January 2021 you will be able to apply for funding through Student Finance England to cover the full duration of your degree and you will be able to travel to the UK without any visa restrictions.
EU students applying after 2020/21 academic year, your studies may be impacted due to the removal of access to UK Student Loans and possible changes to the immigration system. Brexit negotiations are still ongoing and so the final detail is not yet known, we will publish information on how this impacts new EU applicants as soon as this is made available by the UK Government.
ARU are a UK public Higher Education Institution and are globally recognised. If the career you are interested in has specific, professional body requirements please feel free to contact them directly to ask about recognition or feel free to get in touch with us and we will do our best to help.
We require all students to meet a minimum English level and if you are not a British citizen you will need to provide evidence of your English ability. We do accept a wide range of qualifications, so please see our English language requirements page for details.
As a guide our English requirement is IELTS 5.5 in all bands for entry to Foundation, First Year or Pre-masters.
You don’t need to obtain a translation prior to making your application, but you will receive a conditional offer and that specific condition will only be removed once an officially translated version of your qualifications have been provided.
- a current passport or other valid travel documentation
- proof that you can support yourself and pay for your course – this will vary depending on your circumstances
- proof of parental or other legal guardian consent if you’re under 18
- proof of your relationship with your parent or guardian if you’re under 18
- your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test
For more information please see https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/documents-you-must-provide
The usual waiting time for a decision on your visa application is 3 weeks, following your visa appointment.
Current waiting times (July 2020) are impacted by most UK visa centres being closed due to Covid-19.
For latest visa processing times please see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visa-decision-waiting-times-applications-outside-the-uk
We do not discriminate on age and therefore we do accept applications and students who are under the age of 18.
If you are under the age of 18 we require you to appoint a UK guardian, which will be done as part of the acceptance process. If your parents, or formal guardians, do not reside in the UK you will need to make arrangements with a family friend or appoint an official UK guardian.
Please be aware that your UK guardian should be:
- Be over 25 years old
- Not be a current student at the College
- Be resident in the UK
UK Guardians should be aware of the importance of their role and should therefore be mature, and able to respond to any issues that may arise during the student’s studies.
You will also need to consider accommodation options as the ARU accommodation that we offer are not able to accept students under the age of 18. However we do work with local, private providers that are able to accommodate students under the age of 18. Please see our accommodation pages for details.
If you have any questions relating to gaurdianship as part of the application process please get in touch.
If the exams you were expecting to sit have been cancelled or postponed, please do get in touch with us for further guidance on the options we have available for you.
We are aware that your exam results release may have been affected. If this is the case for you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to discuss your individual options.
We have a range of IELTS exemptions available, including online tests. For details of these please see our English language requirements.
Our entry requirements remain the same, however should you not be able to provide final certificates/transcripts then please do get in touch and we can discuss your individual circumstances.
The University and ARU College will be open for business in January 2021 and we’re all looking forward to welcoming new students. However, if you would feel you would prefer to defer your studies and join us at the next available intake please just let us know and we will process your deferred offer as quickly as possible.
Alternatively, you can begin your course online and move to face to face following completion of the first semester or year.
If you accept your offer but are not able to travel to the UK straight away we are able to offer you online studies for your first semester to ensure you don’t miss any time or delay your graduation.
However, if you would prefer to delay your start date until a time that you can travel to the UK you will be able to defer your entry. Please contact our Admissions Team.
All our courses will be offered both online and face to face in January, so if you would feel safer beginning your course online, we will be able to support you.
All students, once they accept their offer, will be asked their study preference so you will have the opportunity to either opt for online or face to face studies.
We will be offering the same high-quality academic experience, so tuition fee costs will remain the same for both online and face to face studies.
UK students are eligible for the ARU Bursary, worth up to £300 per year.
International students are eligible for:
- Progression scholarship worth £500. This is a reduction in the tuition fee that you pay to ARU on progression to the University
- Early Payment Discount worth £400. This is a reduction in the tuition fee that you pay to ARU on progression to the University, if you pay by the early deadline set by the University
All students are eligible for the MBA scholarship worth £4,000 following completion of ARU College Pre-Masters programme
Yes – and we offer Navinsure, a specialised education insurance policy.
Introducing our first student insurance policy that allows for a claim in relation to a UK student route visa refusal. Providing increased peace of mind for families and minimising financial risk during these uncertain times.
Key benefits
- A claim can be made if a visa refusal is received under no fault of the applicant*
- Increased protection for those beginning their studies online
- The ability to ‘pause’ a policy if a student needs to return home temporarily**
What does the policy cost?
£350 for a 14-month period
Where can I find policy details?
Please refer to the summary of cover for full information.
How do I purchase the policy?
If you wish to proceed and purchase this policy, you should indicate this in the relevant section of your acceptance form (in your letter of offer). Once you have paid your fee, you will be provided with full policy documentation to read and store safely for future reference.
If you have already accepted your offer and indicated that you would like to opt in to the insurance, you will receive an email from us directly. You will be asked if you want to proceed with the purchase based on the enhanced policy information.
When is payment due?
To avoid additional bank transaction fees, we recommend that you pay the Navinsure fee along with your course fee deposit. Even if you pay after the 1st August, the policy start date will remain fixed.
When will the policy start?
The policy coverage will commence on specific dates linked to your chosen intake. The start date of the policy is earlier than the intake date – this allows important aspects of pre-departure to be
included within the policy.
- For students joining us in September/October: 1st August 2020
- For students joining us in January/February: 1st January 2021
Yes, if you decide that you’d like to study an alternative course, just get in touch with our admissions team at admissions@arucollege.com and we will advise you if you are suitable for entry
This depends on your own circumstances, whether you are here on a UK visa, what course you are studying and what you wish to change to. For any queries relating to academic programmes we would recommend you contacting academic@arucollege.com
Yes, we understand that documentation from Student Finance England can sometimes be delayed. If you are yet to receive your entitlement letter at the time of registration you will be able to register by signing a disclaimer.
Our campuses are in Cambridge and Chelmsford, within the South East of England.
We would advise you looking for travel routes before you leave home to make sure you have planned your journey and where possible booked tickets.
If you are considering travelling by train, we would recommend looking at the National Rail enquiries site.
We have so much going on, on both of our Cambridge and Chelmsford campuses. To find out more about activities please follow the links below:
Does the UK leaving the European Union affect students from the EU?
If you’re from the EU and you’re thinking of coming to study in the UK, there are a few practical things that might change as a result of the UK leaving the EU on 31 January 2020. These depend on when you arrive in the UK.
If you are an Irish national, these changes will not apply to you.
If you arrive in the UK before 31 December 2020, there’s very little that will change as long as you register for the EU Settlement Scheme. If you’re an EU citizen and you start living in the UK by 31 December 2020, you and your family can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme and continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021. The deadline for applying is 30 June 2021.
If you arrive from 1 January 2021 onwards, there will be some changes. Many of these are still subject to negotiations, but the UK government, the British Council and universities in the UK are working hard to make any new arrangements as simple as possible.
The main changes are:
- Arrive in the UK before 1 January 2021: No changes; apply for EU Settlement Scheme to stay longer than 30 June 2021 (if you want to remain in the UK beyond 30 June 2021 and keep ‘home fee status’ beyond this date)
- Arrive in the UK after 1 January 2021 and start your course before 31 July 202: Changes to immigration status, no changes to fee status
- Arrive in the UK after 1 January 2021 and start your course after 1 August 2021: Changes to immigration status and fee status (for studies in England, Scotland and Wales)
What will the study pattern be for students starting Foundation (Level 3) this January 2021?
Student Finance has confirmed that in 2021, the students will be eligible for three Trimesters of Funding. Unlikely, the previous years, students who start Foundation (Level 3) in January 2021 will finish this stage in August and progress to Year 1 of the degree (Level 4) in September 2021. This means that you will not have the summer break, but you will be starting your First Year in September 2021.
Will student Finance still be available for January 2021?
Yes, EU students starting in January 2021 will be eligible to apply for the Student Finance Loan through Student Finance England.
From September 2021 will EU Students have to pay the same fees as international students?
Yes, the University has confirmed that from September 2021 new EU students will be charged international fee levels.
Will ARU College offer digital and on campus options starting from January 2021?
Yes, students will still be able to choose between digital and on campus studies during the January 2021 academic trimester and there will be opportunities to switch between these modes of study during the trimester.
What will be the implications for EU students studying online in January and moving to the UK later in their course?
If you are an EU student and you are planning to arrive in the UK after the 31 December 2021, you will be considered an International Student. Therefore, you will have to apply for Student VISA to be able to stay in the UK for the duration of your course. Please find more information about immigration on https://aru.ac.uk/international/immigration.
Will I be able to study the whole foundation digitally?
Currently we have confirmed that the January 2021 academic trimester will be available both digitally and on campus. We are working hard to confirm the May 2021 study options, which will follow UK Government Guidance on Coronavirus. A decision on this will likely be made early in 2021.
Will students who need to quarantine be able to apply for accommodation during the quarantine period?
Yes, students who are applying for University campus accommodation and need to quarantine, can move into their rooms two weeks early. You will be able to move in from 4th January 2021 and have the quarantine period free of charge (if you arrive on 4th January. If you arrive on 10th January, you will only have free accommodation from 10th January to 18th January).
Will EU students be able to move into University accommodation in December 2020?
There is a chance for you to move in December 2020, before the Brexit transition period ends. If you would like to receive more information, please contact accommodation@arucollege.com.
When can I apply for accommodation?
You can apply for Accommodation as soon as you hold a Conditional Offer. Before you can make this application on ARU Website, you will need to contact our Accommodation Team at accommodation@arucollege.com so that we can provide you with the login details for the accommodation portal.
Can EU students stay and work in the UK after they complete their studies?
If you arrive in the UK before the 31st December, you will be able to apply to the pre- Settlement status, which allows you to work and study in the UK with the same rights as a British Citizen.
If you arrive after this date, you will be classed as an International Student. Therefore, if you intend to stay in the country after the completion of your degree, you will be eligible to Apply to the New Graduate Immigration Route. Please find more information on https://aru.ac.uk/international/immigration.
For more information on how Brexit may impact your UK studies in 2021 please visit the British Council dedicated page here: https://study-uk.britishcouncil.org/moving-uk/starting-your-degree-2020
If your question hasn’t been answered above, please contact us.