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Coursework for unit 14TRANSCRIPT
2
Apply for your passport
How to take your passport photos
Open a student bank account
Other Students’ experiences
Apply for a student loan
How to save your money
Apply for a Driver’s licence
Top London Universities
4-5
6-7
8-9
11
12-13
15
16-17
18-19
3
Where to Start Once you are officially a British
Citizen, you can apply for your first
British Passport. Recently, laws
have changed and you will now
need to attend an interview to verify
your identity. Details about booking
an interview will be sent to you after
you application has been received
by the Identity and Passport Service
(IPS). IPS recommend you allow up
to six weeks to obtain a new
passport, and not to book any other
travel arrangements until the new
passport is received.
Once you have received your
application form, it might be helpful
to have someone near you when
you are filling it, just to make sure it
is all correct.
Application Form If you are 16 years and over and
applying for a British Passport, you
should fill in the Form C1. You can
get an application form using the
following methods:
Collect a form from selected Post
Office branches. Look on a map
to see where your nearest post
office is
Fill in the online application form
requesting to receive a form in
the post
Call the 24-hour Passport
Adviceline on 0870 521 0410
Go online and submit your
details using the online
application form at
www.passport.go.uk/
passport_online.asp
British passports may be
issued to people holding any of
the various forms of British
nationality, and are used as
evidence of the bearer's nationality
and immigration status within the United Kingdom. In the UK,
British passports are issued by the Identity and Passport Service. It
is quite a long process, so make sure you do further research as to
how to apply. We recommend that you pay a small fee and get your
local Post Office to check it. This will save you time and money if
you have made any errors in your application as they will simply
change it there and then for you. If you sent it off with an error on
it, they will send it back to you and you have to do it all over again!
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If you fill in your form online, you
get the benefit of interactive help.
Once you’ve submitted you details
online, the form is printed and sent
to you. All you need to do then is
attach your supporting documents
and submit your application!
Passport Fees There is unfortunately a fee of £70
when you submit your application,
which is an increase of £5.50 from
last year.
Lost or Stolen Passports We understand that passports may get lost or stolen, and there are ways
you can replace your passport. However, it may take an quite a long time
and can cost up to £112! That’s even more than applying for your first
passport. That’s why we recommend that you try to avoid taking your
passport out with you, for example to use as a form of ID. Here’s what to
do if your passport is lost or stolen:
Report it to the police immediately. Passports are often sold on to
people and so it is essential you let the police know so they are aware. You need to fill in the standard IPS form (details of how you get one is
to the left of this page). Remember to attach the Lost or Stolen (LS01) Notification form. You
can get this form from your Post Office, your local police station or the
IPS Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000 If you need a replacement urgently, this will unfortunately cost you more,
yet it will arrive within one week. First you should call the IPS Passport
Adviceline 0300 222 0000 to make an appointment at a Regional Passport
Office.
What the inside cover of your British Passport will look like once you
receive it in the post
5
Meet the
Requirements If you are taking your own passport
photos, make sure that you meet
these specific requirements. Tick
them off as you go along, so you
- Two by two inches in size
- In full colour
- Taken in the last six months
and reflecting your current
appearance
- No hats, scarves or headgear
that will obscure the hairline
- Between one inch and one and
three-eighths inches from the
bottom of the chin to the top
of the head
Usually people use a photo booth to have their
passport photos printed, as they are printed the right size and have the correct lighting.
However, they can be quite expensive, at a minimum price of £3.50 for four photos. Therefore if you want to take them yourself, make sure you meet all the requirements on this page.
Remember, if you are taking the photos yourself, they must be printed on a digital printer and of a high quality. If not, then they may be returned and you will have to re-take them.
- No tinted lenses (unless
medically required)
- No uniforms (unless
religious and worn daily)
- If you normally wear eye
glasses, a wig or a hearing
aid, do wear those for your
photo
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Guidelines Follow these tips to make sure your
photos are suitable:
Head should be positioned
facing the camera
Eyes should be open and
looking directly at the camera
Background should be plain
white
Lighting should be adjusted to
avoid shadows on the face or
background
A natural expression is
encouraged
Hair must be kept off the face
Frequently Asked Questions 1. How many passport photos are required to be submitted with
the passport application?
Two (2) identical photos must be submitted.
2. Are photos that are copied from recent driver licenses or other
official documents acceptable?
No, only original photographs are acceptable. In addition, photos must
not be retouched to alter the customer's appearance in any way.
3. What pose should the photos show?
The photo should show a clear, front view, full face of the customer.
The customer’s expression should be natural, looking directly ahead.
Normal, unexaggerated smiles are acceptable, but unusual expressions
and squinting are not. Photos in which the face of the person being
photographed is not in focus will not be accepted.
The measurements and positioning of how your face should be when taking
your passport photos
7
I know what you’re thinking.
“Where do I start?” There are
so many banks out there
claiming to be the perfect one,
but which one do you choose? The
most important advice is to make sure you do your research. Every
bank offers a different deal, with both its benefits and unfortunately
drawbacks. You’ll be very lucky to find a bank that offers you
everything you want, but I promise that you will find one that’s
close enough...
Lloyds TSB Up to £1,500
tiered interest-free planned overdraft to help you stay in control
A Lloyds TSB Visa debit card to use at home or abroad
Internet banking and
Phonebank, so you can get
access 24 Hours a day, seven
days a week Free NUS Extra card, so that
you can receive discounts on your favourite brands
35 free music downloads from eMusic
The option to sign up for Save the Change™, which makes saving effortless, by helping you save every time you use your Visa debit card
Visit: www.lloydstsb.com
HSBC Up to
£2,000
interest
free overdraft, no overdraft fees
and overdraft limit alerts at
HSBC cash machines
Two years free worldwide travel
insurance
Access to your cash wherever
you are – get local currency at
over a million cash machines
worldwide
CDWOW - get chart CDs from
£7.49
Free TalkMobile SIM card with
£5 preloaded credit and free
calls to HSBC telephone banking
wherever you are, 24 hours a
day
In-branch Student Advisors
Visit: www.hsbc.co.uk
8
Halifax An interest-
free
overdraft of
up to
£3,000 for up to five years – plus
an extra year after you graduate
You'll automatically get a £500
interest-free overdraft when you
open your account and then you
can apply for more if and when
you need it
Commission-free foreign currency
and traveller's cheques so you've
more spending money for your
summer holiday
A 25% discount on AA breakdown
cover – for peace of mind when
you're driving home for the
weekend or taking a road trip.
Every penny counts!
Visit: www.halifax.co.uk
Barclays Exclusive
Orange mobile
broadband
offer
£2,000 interest-free overdraft
Apply to extend your overdraft
up to £3,000 at a rate of 8.9%
EAR
There’s a branch within 1.5 miles
of 94% of the UK’s top
universities
Withdraw up to £300 worth of
cash each day
Top up your mobile phone at our
cash machines
Online and telephone banking
Use your VISA debit cards
overseas
Visit: www.barclays.co.uk
9
“Opening a student bank account was
extremely confusing! You have all these
different banks, and they are all made out to
sound perfect! You need to make sure you do
your research, and make sure the bank you do
decide to go with is the right one for you. I
personally chose HSBC, simply because there
was a HSBC bank on my campus, and this
made life a whole lot easier for me. It also
gave me a £2,000 interest free overdraft,
which made this the perfect choice for me!”
“Before opening my bank account, I knew
exactly what I wanted from it. I needed a large
interest free overdraft, yet I also needed to be
able to check my balance whenever I wanted to
on my mobile, as I am constantly travelling.
Lloyds TSB offered me both of these, plus
benefits such as a free NUS Extra card and a
Lloyds TSB debit card to use at home or abroad.
They also gave me 35 free music downloads,
which I feel made this bank an easy winner!
But Remember… These students did their research and found the right bank accounts for them. It is a very personal decision, and you
need to make sure it is the right one for you. Make sure you have enough information before you make your decision.
11
If you’re starting a full-time
course in 2010/11, apply for
finance as soon as possible to
make sure it’s ready for when
you start. If you’re going into higher
education, you can get financial support from the government. Also,
make sure you have a parent or guardian with you at the time you
are applying, as this will make it a lot easier for you. They will need
to fill in sections and enter details that you probably will not know.
Help for Full-Time
Students If you’re studying full-time, the
main sources of help are:
student loans and grants from
the government
bursaries from your university or
college
Student Loans from the
Government All eligible students can get help
with tuition fees and living cost
through student loans.
You’ll be able to take out two
student loans per academic year:
a Tuition Fee Loan - to cover
your tuition fees in full
a Maintenance Loan - to help
with accommodation and other
living costs (how much you get
depends on your household
income)
Repaying Student Loans Student loans have to be paid back
we’re afraid. But don’t worry! You
don’t have to start making
repayments until you’ve left your course and are earning over
£15,000! Once your earnings reach
this threshold, you’ll pay back 9%
of whatever you earn over £15,000.
If you’re due to start paying back
your student loans from April 2012,
you’ll have the option of taking a
one or two-year repayment break.
Bursaries Bursaries are an additional source
of help from your university or
college. Institutions in England must
offer at least a minimum bursary
payment if you’re paying maximum
tuition fees and getting the full
Maintenance Grant or Special
Support Grant.
Grants and bursaries don’t have to
be repaid. 12
Part-Time Students Fee Grant and Course Grant The main sources of financial help
for part-time students are usually
different from those available to full
-time students.
Depending on your circumstances,
you may be able to apply for the
part-time Fee Grant and Course
Grant. How much you can get
depends on your household income
and personal circumstances.
Government-funded Help
The main sources of government-
funded help for lower income part-
time students are:
the Fee Grant - to help with
tuition fees
the Course Grant - to help with
study costs, such as books,
materials and travel
The maximum Fee Grant you can
get is based on how ‘intensive’ your
course is. For the most intensive
courses, the maximum available
through the Fee Grant and Course
Grant combined is £1,470 for
2009/10, or £1,495 for 2010/11.
Any help you get through the Fee
Grant or Course Grant doesn’t have
to be paid back.
Applying for the Fee Grant
and Course Grant You’ll need to make a separate
application for each academic year,
using the application form for part-
time student finance (PTG1).
You can find these application forms
online at this address:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/
EducationAndLearning/
This website will help you through
your application from, making sure
that all sections are completed.
What to do with your
completed form
Fill in the form and take it with you
to your college or university when
you start your course.
The administration office will
complete the rest of the form
confirming that you’re a student
there
You'll then need to send the form to
Student Finance England.
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14
15
Follow
these tips to make sure you make
the most of your money!
A driver’s licence is an official
document allowing you to
drive a motorized vehicle, such
as a motorcycle, car, truck or bus.
You can receive your driver’s licence
after you have successfully passed your driver’s test. You need a
Provisional Licence first though, so make sure you apply for one of
those! You can apply for one when you turn 17 years old.
Your Provisional
Licence Before you can learn to drive a car,
you must apply for a provisional
driving licence. You can apply at the
age of 17 either online or getting a
form from your local Post Office.
The form you need to fill in is called
the D1, along with documentation
confirming your identity, a passport
style colour photograph and the fee
of £50.00. Send your completed
application and payment to DVLA,
Swansea, SA99 1AD.
You should receive your provisional
licence within three weeks.
Driver’s Test This driver’s test consists of three
parts:
Multiple choice theory test Hazard perception test The practical test
You must pass all three sections to
be able to obtain a licence.
How to improve your driving Here are some tips as to how to
help improve your driving skills:
Steer smoothly at all times Accelerate smoothly. Don’t race
the engine or make it stall
Stop the vehicle gently. Start
braking well ahead of where you
must stop to avoid sudden
“jerks.” Know where to stop. Be
aware of crosswalks. If your
view is blocked at a crosswalk,
move forward carefully and look
both ways before entering the
intersection
Always obey the posted speed
limits
Follow at a safe
distance. Use the
three second rule
Don’t panic and
remain calm
Know what the traffic signals
mean and obey them at all times Always use the correct lane Signal for all lane changes and
turns Always look for potential hazards
(scan). Check your mirrors
frequently.
Drive defensively. Anticipate
another driver’s errors
And most of all, stay calm and try not
to be nervous. You examiner wants
you to pass.
Replacing your licence Many students use their provisional
licence as a form of ID. However, it
means that there is a risk it could get
lost or stolen. If you lose your
licence, you can replace it either by
applying:
Online using the Driver and
Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
secure online service
By post, by getting a form from
your local post office
By telephone on 0800-790-6801.
If you need to renew your photo as
well, You can do so at any time,
however, if your photo is due to
expire very soon, it’ll need to be
renewed before the date of expiry. 17
Remember, this list of
Universities should just be
used to help you make your
final decision. It normally
changes every year, and some
Universities specialise in specific subjects, for example Brunel may
be number eight overall, yet it is ranked fifth in the entire country
for Engineering. Therefore it is essential that you also look at where
the course for the University you are applying to is ranked as well.
Imperial College Tel: 0207 594 8014
Email: [email protected]
University College London Tel: 0207 679 3000
Email: Contact via website
London School of Economics Tel: 020 7955 7125
Email: [email protected]
King’s College London
Tel: 020 7836 5454
Email: [email protected]
Royal Holloway Tel: 01784 434455
Email: [email protected]
Queen Mary London Tel: 020 7882 5555
Email: [email protected]
Goldsmith’s College
Tel: 020 7919 7766
Email: [email protected]
Brunel Tel: 01895 265265
Email: [email protected]
City Tel: 0207 040 5060
Email: [email protected]
Kingston Tel: 020 8547 2000
Email: admissions-
18
Living in London To live in London is to experience one
of the great cities of the world. Yet, for
many students considering university in
London, worries about the cost of living
and studying may deter them from
choosing to study here. Although it is a
fact that studying in London can be
more expensive than in some other
parts of the UK, the true picture is often
exaggerated.
London is the most cost effective place
to study. According to a recent survey,
with almost half of students in higher
education employed for an average of
16 hours a week, the average hourly
rate of pay in London is £8.67
compared with £6.02 nationally.
UCAS UCAS is a clearing house for applications to almost all fulltime undergraduate
degree programmes at UK Universities and Colleges.
As nearly all British higher education institutions are members of UCAS, all
those wishing to study for undergraduate degrees in the UK must apply
through UCAS. This applies to all categories of applicants - UK residents,
residents of the Channel Islands and Isle of Man, European Union citizens,
and other international applicants. Applicants submit a single application via
UCAS's website with a list of up to five courses for which they are applying,
in no order of preference. All five choices are confidential during the
application process so universities and
colleges considering an application cannot
see any of the candidate's other choices.
Applications must be completed by the
middle of the January of the year that the
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