Academic Questions:
What are HNC and HND?
HNC stands for Higher National Certificate and HND stands for Higher National Diploma. These are universally recognized qualifications awarded by Edexcel. Students usually study for an HNC in their first year and an HND in their second. There are usually no exams in the HNC and HND. Assessment is by marked coursework and assignments.
What can I do after completing HNC and HND?
Students who have successfully completed HNC and HND can continue their studies for one more year and top up to a Bachelor’s degree or they can begin careers in industry, commerce, Government, or the professions
What course can I do?
The Bliss College offers a variety of courses at different levels in Business Management, Information Technology, Healthcare Management and Hotel Management. Students should apply for a course that will help them achieve their career objectives. When deciding on a course, they should also ensure that they meet the entry requirements.
Is IELTS or TOEFL required for admission to the College?
Students at Bliss College require a level of English sufficiently high to enable them to follow their course. All courses are taught in English. Students should aim to have a level of English equivalent to IELTS level 5.5 or 6.
The Entry Clearance Officer at the British Embassy or High Commission will almost certainly ask about your level of English at your visa interview. If you have obtained IELTS or TOEFL or other formal English Language qualifications you will need to send this to the college before the CAS will be issue Students are expected to have the following IELTS scores: -
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For those students whose main / spoken language is English and / or their previous education was through the medium of English, an IELTS qualification may not be necessary but any decision in this regard is subject to the discretion of the Awarding Body. |
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IELTS 6 Bands: For all Post Graduate Degree and Diploma programmes - (For example, MBA, BTEC, DMS & PG Diplomas ) |
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IELTS 5.5 Bands: For all Undergraduate Degrees and Diplomas (For example BA / B. Sc, ACCA & Diplomas) |
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IELTS 5 Bands: For all Certificate & Entry Level programmes (For example HNC, Certificate, CAT and NVQ programmes) |
What are the Entry requirements for the College?
For entry to HNC students should have 4 GCSE/GCE/SCE or equivalent, one of which should be in English and one in a Maths subject at grade A, B, or C. For overseas students grade 1-6 credits/distinctions are considered equivalent. Alternatively an Intermediate HSC pass with good grades is acceptable, or applicants aged 18 or more can be admitted at the discretion of the College without minimum entry requirements, provided they can prove that they are sufficiently motivated.
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For entry to HND students should have successfully completed HNC in the appropriate discipline. |
How many days a week do I have to study?
Courses at Bliss College are full time courses. This means that students are normally required to attend the College 3 days a week, comprising 15-22 hours of organized daytime study. As well as lectures and tutorials, students also have to complete their assignments, and work on their own in the Library or computer labs as directed by their tutors.
What happens if I arrive late for my course?
Students should note that according to their Enrolment Certificate they are permitted to arrive up to 20 days later than their course induction date.
If, for valid reasons, such as late visa interviews, students arrive at the College more than 20 days late, they will be assessed on an individual basis.
The assessment will be used to judge the late arrival’s ability to catch up with other students who have already started the course. After the assessment the student will either be permitted to join the course, or be automatically deferred to the next intake for the course.
What happens if my visa is refused, or I decide to change to another course at another College? Are my tuition fees from Bliss College refunded?
If your visa is refused and you are outside the UK, you can have an Administrative Review per application, if you feel an error has been made in your case, but you will not have a formal right of appeal. This is accordance with Section 4 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.
Students refused further leave to remain in the UK will retain existing appeal rights, although, in accordance with section 19 of the UK Borders Act 2007, they will not generally be able to submit new evidence in their appeals.
If after having been refused a visa you decide not to proceed with your application to join the Bliss College, your fees will be refunded, but the £50 registration fee is non refundable, and £200 will deducted to cover administration costs.
Details of the College’s policy on other refunds is set out in the “Fees Policy and Procedures” section of the application form.
What other Facilities does the College offer?
Computer Labs
Bliss College has a number of Computer laboratories for students’ use. The labs are equipped with the latest industry standard workstations using the latest software as well as high speed access to the Internet.
Library / Self-Access Centre
What should I bring with me?
Apart from clothes and personal effects, you should make sure you bring with you all your documents relating to your admission to the College, as you may be asked to show these by the immigration authorities on arrival. Books and Stationery for the course can be purchased in the UK
VISA Questions Answered
Can the college help me to get a visa for the UK?
A new Points Based System (PBS) – Tier 4 will be launched in November 2008. The college will the Licensed Sponsor and will provide genuine students with the appropriate admission/enrolment documentation called a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). The UKBA will make final decision on who is permitted to come here to study.
When students apply for their entry clearance or visa under the new system, they will need a valid CAS from a licensed sponsor and UKBA will rigorously check all the documentation provided, including:
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Evidence of sufficient funds to pass a maintenance test; and |
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The education documents used to obtain the CAS from the college e.g. qualification certificates. |
Entry Clearance Officers (ECO) in overseas post will concentrate on funds checks, detecting any fake or forged documents and the appropriate immigration checks to make sure the person does not have an adverse immigration history. The college will check student’s education certificates.
UKBA will check and record the fingerprints of any applicants applying for a visa and all students allowed to come to the UK will need to obtain a biometric identity card.
What documentary evidence will I need to provide to the UKBA?
All students will need to provide documentary evidence to support their claim for points. For student applicants this means UKBA will require them to show all education certificates and documents used to obtain a CAS as well as financial evidence to demonstrate they have the points to pass the maintenance test.
An application will be refused where fake or forged documents have been used. In these circumstances the applicant will automatically be banned from entering the UK for ten years. Applications will also be refused where UKBA doubt the documentation is genuine and have taken reasonable steps to verify its authenticity but have been unable to do so.
UKBA also reserves the right to refuse an application because of a bad immigration history, a criminal record or for any other reasons that it deems as adequate to conclude that it is not in the UK’s best interests to issue a visa.
Active Checks in the UK
Once students have come to the UK there will be on-going checks to ensure that they are complying with the terms of their visa. Under the new system, a student’s visa will be ‘locked’ to the college as we have issued the CAS used for their visa application.
The college will report to the UK Border Agency where a student fails to enrol or stops attending. This reporting is an integral part of the college’s duties, is mandatory and will be complied with rigorously as a failure to comply with these duties means that the college risk losing our License and will no longer be able to recruit international students.
Further information on the PBS can be found on the UKBA website http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ or from your local British Consulate.
If I am already in the UK on a visitor’s visa, can I change this to a student visa?
No
Can the College help me extend my UK visa?
If your visa is due to run out before the end of your course, please speak to the College Registrar, who will help you with your application to extend it as necessary.
Can I work while I’m studying at the College? And do I need a work permit?
Yes. Students studying full time in the UK on courses lasting 6 months or more are allowed to work part time for up to 20 hours per week, and full time during the vacations. Your student visa entitles you to work. No separate work permit is issued.
Will the College help me to find a job?
There are no job opportunities available as such at the College, but there are many jobs available in the Greater London area for students who wish to work.
It is up to students to find their own jobs. The College will advise on how to prepare a written CV, and will help with names and addresses of appropriate job agencies, etc
To find out more about the College, please do contact
What is living in Greater London really like ?
Greater London is a relatively fast and exciting metropolitan city. There are many social activities going on all the time. The centre of Greater London is well known for its nightlife that includes theatres, nightclubs, street entertainment, cinemas, restaurants, late night shops, etc. During the day there are places to visit such as museums, art galleries, markets and the main tourist attractions (Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, The Tower of Greater London, Covent Garden, etc.)
It is a multi-cultural city with people visiting and staying in Greater London who originally come from many other countries. The centre of Greater London is easy to get to as all major buses and trains pass through it. Greater London can be expensive but as you move more to Greater Greater London (away from the centre), you will find things become cheaper.
What is food shopping like ?
Greater London has many shops that specialize in foods from around the world. Prices differ considerably so shop around and look out for special offers. As a rule, supermarkets will be cheaper than the corner shop and street markets will be cheaper than the supermarkets. You can expect to spend at least £35 a week on groceries.
Each of the College centers has their own canteen where meals and snacks are available throughout the day.
Should I take out insurance ?
Traveling abroad to study can be costly. Apart from the course fees you may have to pay for your accommodation, travel, bills, laundry, books, course materials, healthcare/treatment etc. You will be traveling with important documents such as your passport, tickets, and cash and travelers cheques. In the event that you should lose any of them or have them stolen or fall ill you may decide that it is useful to take out some insurance cover to help reimburse you.
There are insurance companies who offer policies at a cheaper rate to students. You may want to take insurance out before you leave your country or once you arrive in the UK.
Just a note of caution, do shop around and ask questions about the cover offered for the best deal before parting with any money and signing any forms.
Will I be able to practice my faith ?
To some students their spiritual well being is as important as their physical and emotional well being. Bliss College is fortunate to be based in a multi-cultural area. Places of worship of various denominations are readily available in and throughout Greater London . If you want to uphold your religious festivals/practices and develop your faith, you can expect to be able to do this while studying at the College.
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a place to worship |
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spiritual development |
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a community of people who share the same beliefs and values as yourselves |
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a source of support (socially, emotionally, spiritually, etc) |
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a place to obtain information and so on |
What is the weather like in the UK ?
The British weather can seem very harsh to those students who come from warmer climates. It is generally unpredictable, but the period between December and February is extremely cold.
A good way of keeping warm is by "layering" your clothes. That is, wearing t-shirts or shirts under woollen jumpers, with a warm jacket or coat over the top, depending on how cold it is. Waterproof clothing, strong shoes/boots and an umbrella are useful or perhaps essential in the rain.
If you arrive in August or September you should find that the climate is still reasonably mild so you can decide what clothing to buy when you get here.
