East Sussex College International
Study Support
At East Sussex College, we are committed to helping our international students feel happy, supported and successful.
We have received national awards, such as a prestigious Association of Colleges (AoC) Beacon Award for International Student Support which is sponsored by the British Council, in recognition of our outstanding work in supporting and guiding our international students.
Following this, we achieved further recognition for our excellent student care by being awarded the National Union of Students/UK Council for International Student Affairs Award for Excellence in International Student Support in the Further Education sector.
These awards recognise our excellent work in helping students settle into college life, achieve their goals and make the most of their experience in the UK.
Our dedicated team is here to support you throughout your studies, from your first day at college to your progression to univeristy or future employment.
Your success and wellbeing are at the heart of everything we do.
Katie Wingfield
Senior International Officer
You will experience outstanding student support long before you arrive at East Sussex College. Our International Admissions and Guidance team will ensure that the course(s) you apply for are best-suited to your long term study plans and career goals. You can contact them before or after you submit your application. Our dedicated visa team will give you advice and support to ensure you apply for the right visa.
Please let us know if you would like to receive information from current East Sussex College students about studying here.
We also work with partners worldwide to promote our programmes and provide a supportive service to students applying to the college. These partners have been carefully selected and we provide regular training to ensure that East Sussex College is accurately represented and that the applicant experience is good. Our agents are committed to following the principles of the Agent Quality Framework www.aqf.info. These agents or partner institutions are independent from East Sussex College and have their own governing principles. You can find a list of our partners here.
Please complete the online application form along with your supporting documents.
Arriving at a new college in a new country can be a daunting experience. Our arrival experience will help you adjust to your new life at East Sussex College and you will be made to feel welcome and part of the East Sussex College community. You will receive a comprehensive induction to help you adjust to college life which includes lots of activities to help you make friends. You will meet your teachers and enjoy social activities with other new students.
We want to make sure you are 100% prepared for living and studying in the UK. You will receive a detailed Pre-Arrival Pack to help you prepare for your studies with us and life in the UK. Read about what clothes to bring, what food you can expect to eat as well learning about life at East Sussex College. If you have requested an airport taxi pick-up, our Accommodation and Welfare team will send you confirmation details. Our Accommodation and Welfare team will send you details of your accommodation and will answer any questions you have about your new home.
Your Personal Tutor may contact you to send you useful documents and course reading lists, to help you prepare for your course.
If you are taking an academic or vocational programme with us, we offer an additional support package to give additional study skills and to help you adjust to the linguistic demands of your programme.
The Enhanced Support Package offers international students additional subject-specific English language support and study skills.
It is designed to complement your learning, give you 18 additional hours of tailored support to help you understand your subjects more thoroughly, and to help you feel more confident in your chosen subjects. We aim to start these sessions in the autumn term and they may be continued in the following terms.
Any international student who is taking an academic or vocational programme with us may request the Enhanced Support Package. Upon interview or application, should our Academic team feel that you would benefit from this additional support, we may include the Enhanced Support Package in your programme. Our International Admissions team will advise you if you need the Enhanced Support Package during the application process.
The Enhanced Support Package is available for students taking the following courses with us:
We want you to achieve your goals and ambitions and will do everything we can to help you succeed. Your teachers and Personal Tutor will be there for any academic or personal questions that you may have. We will encourage you to take part in our wide range of extra-curricular activities, these include: weekly academic, cultural and sporting activities, as well as competitive sports teams and excursions.
By taking part in our comprehensive enrichment and social programme you will be able to make friends with UK and other international students. You can find information about our college activities here.
If you study on full-time academic courses you are entitled to receive free English language classes, designed to develop your language skills in your particular subject areas.
Our dedicated Immigration Compliance and Accommodation and Welfare staff are able to assist you with visa applications and renewals, any accommodation issues as well as well as counselling and personal advice.
If you wish to apply to university during your studies with us, you will have access to comprehensive Personal Tutor support and academic guidance, to help ensure you choose the right course at the right university for you. You will receive support on a one-to-one basis with each step of the process. Our Personal Tutors and Academic Guidance staff have many years’ experience in preparing students to apply to both UK universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, as well as overseas universities. In recent years East Sussex College international students have had excellent success rates in gaining entry to Hong Kong universities. Please note that if you wish to apply to an overseas university there is an additional charge. Please view the University Application Advice and Guidance section on our fee sheets for more information.