Hello everybody,

Is there any International Student Support or Advisor?

I'm looking for an organization to advice me what to do for my PhD, next year.

I really appreciate your help,

thanks

hi,
well, if you are an international student coming to the UK, you should check out UKCOSA. they are REALLY good, in my experience. if you can't find the information you need on their website you can also call them.
the website is http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/pages/advice.htm

Hi,
Basically, I am in UK, and I doing my MSc, but I need an advice for PhD, and I would like to thank you for the URL, but I think it is for undergraduate, isn't it?

no, it isn't only for undergrads, though they are of course more prominent on the page than PhD. as i said, they will also help on the phone.

how long have you been in the UK already? because, if you have been here for three years, and have settled status, that means you are fully eligible for research council funding. no matter your nationality.

this is my second year here, I think I have to stay under IGS after I finish my master so I will have 3 years to be elgible for research council funding, am I right? do you have url for research council conditions (website)?

hi jo3an, you would find the eligibility criteria on the websites of the different research councils. i don't know which one your topic would fall under.
in general to be eligible, you must:
- be ordinarily resident in UK for three years before the start of your PhD course
- not have been resident purely or mainly for educational reasons
- have indeterminate leave of stay (have settled status)
the last two points don't count for EU citizens.

hey, even if you qualify: don't count too much on this. it is very competitive! i would really recomment to check out other funding opportunities at the same time.

hi shani, thanks for your information, basically I have been sending emails for one week, and all replies were negative
apparently I am almost powerless, and I really don't know, what to do?

shall I defer the PhD to the next year so I can apply for university's scholarships?

or shall I decline it?

I'm completely confused, and it seems life is not fair sometimes

jo3an, i know, it seems so unfair. you have to see it like this: getting the place as PhD student is really only the first, probably the easiest step. getting funding for it is like getting a job. it is competitive, there are strict application deadlines, and as when applying for jobs, you have to expect a lot of negative replies before you turn lucky. i have a friend at my uni who wrote more than 20 funding applications before she got something. myself, as i said, i started unfunded and am now still in the process of applying for funding for my second year (i live in hope).

i guess you have the following options:
- defer for a year. start applying for funding about a year before your course is due to begin.
- decline the offer. i wouldn't do that - why should you? you can always decline if you can't find funding next year.
- keep trying to find funding for this year. you might turn lucky! not all deadlines are past. check out your "home" country for funding opportunities.
- did you consider starting as a part-time student? you would pay half the fees and you could work to earn enough to get by, while at the same time not foregoing your PhD. and you might find funding later and could finish as full time student.
- how about taking out a loan? i would hate doing that but if you really want that PhD it would be an option.

thanks shani for encouragement, basically am in my MSc now, and I do have a part time job, and I didn't talk to my boss about it yet, I want my boss to be last option for me (as I don't think, he is willing to sponsor me).

for a part-time PhD, I don't think I am allowed to study part time as I am an international student.

and getting loan is impossible for me no bank gonna give a penny to an international student, and getting loan back home is almost nothing because of change rate.