There are some costs that you will be hoping that you do not need to pay, for example for medical treatment, and others that may only be necessary if you come to the UK with your family, such as childcare. For international students registered on a postgraduate course you can have free access to the services of the UK National Health Service (NHS). This means that you can register with a local doctor (called a general practitioner, usually referred to as a GP) either at the University’s Health Centre (they all have one) or in the nearby community, and will have access to free medical services. In the case of emergencies or serious illness you will also be able to use local NHS hospitals. In both cases the standard of medical treatment is very high. There are some services, however, that are more difficult to access or for which you may have to pay. At the present time, for example, it is not always possible to register with an NHS dentist, and therefore if you need dental treatment you may need to pay the full fee for the service to a private dentist. You will also have to pay directly for a number of services – for example for the cost of spectacles if you have to replace them or find you need them while you are in the UK, and a contribution to the cost of any medicines prescribed by a doctor. Most of these services are free for children or for women during pregnancy.
If you have children of school age then you will have to place them in a suitable school. School is compulsory in the UK for all children between the ages of 5 and 16 (it was recently planned to raise this to 18 in 2013), but is provided free by the government. Although there is no direct charge for education, there will be some costs you face. For example, many schools have a school uniform that children are required to wear, and this could cost between £50 and £200 per child per year, although many schools arrange ‘second hand’ sales of uniforms to keep costs low. In addition, most schools organise educational visits and activities that they are able to ask parents to pay for. This might include visits to local museums or field trips. While in theory it is not compulsory for you to pay for such activities, there is an expectation in practice that parents will pay. However, most schools are able to provide funding to cover these costs for families who are in very difficult financial circumstances. The cost of these additional activities may be as much as £100–£200 per year, particularly if your children are at secondary (high) school.
If you have children younger than 5 years of age then you do not need to send them to school – but you may want to send them to a local nursery or preschool (kindergarten), either part-time or full-time. Most universities have their own university nursery for children from 6 months to 5 years old, and these are of a very high standard. You will, however, have to pay for them. Costs are often reduced for students, but you will probably have to pay between £15 and £25 per day for a place. It is important to contact the nursery as soon as you know that you are going to the university, as demand for places is high. In addition to the university nursery, of course, you will find that there are local nursery schools, pre-schools and playgroups, and you can seek a place for your child in these in the same way that any other local parent can.
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