International students FAQs

• Contact the Residence Team and email covid.support@solent.ac.uk.
• Request a test and notify the Residence Team of the result.
• Self-isolate until the results come back.
• All students in the same ‘household’ or flat group will also be advised to self-isolate until the results of the test are known.

I have tested positive for Covid what should I do?

• Email covid.support@solent.ac.uk to let them know and continue to follow government guidelines.

• You may be placed in quarantine if difficult to self-isolate in your own room.

• Flat occupants to be advised to self-isolate for 14 days. Guidance on self-isolation and support will be provided.

I have tested negative for Covid do I need to do anything?

• Yes, please email covid.support@solent.ac.uk to confirm this. You and members of your ‘household’ or flat group can also come out of isolation, unless one of them has symptoms.

• Email the Student Hub using covid.support@solent.ac.uk to alert them, with name/student number/accommodation details. If in privately owned student residences, you must follow any procedures issued by that residence.
• Get a test and follow government guidelines,
• Notify covid.support@solent.ac.uk of the result.
• Self-isolate until results have come back. If in a shared flat, all students should self-isolate until the results of the test are known.

I have tested positive for Covid, what should I do?

• Email covid.support@solent.ac.uk to confirm this and continue to follow government guidelines. Flat occupants will be advised to self-isolate for 14 days. Guidance on self-isolation and support will be provided.

I’ve tested negative, do I need to do anything?

• Yes. Email covid.support@solent.ac.uk to notify them.
• You and any housemates can come out of isolation, unless anyone has symptoms.

Make sure you are clear about the symptoms of coronavirus and when you should get a test. If you have any of the following symptoms, you should get a test:

• a high temperature
• a new, continuous cough
• a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste.

Advice is provided on the Southampton City Council website for Southampton residents. Alternatively, you can book a test online at GOV.UK, or by calling NHS 119.

You can be tested in one of the following ways:

• Visit the NHS website to book a free test.
• Request a home testing kit.
• Attend a drive through testing site (appointment required).
• Attend a Southampton local walk-through testing site (appointment required).
  Currently there is a walk-through testing site in Marlborough Road (South) in Shirley (SO15 3ND).

You will be taught exclusively on a digital basis, but rest assured this is not a self-taught course - you are simply being taught in a different way.

You will be provided with a lecture which will be shorter in length and interspersed with engaging activities.

The lecture and activities will be flexible, so it is easier for you to access at a time that suits you and you can stop and start these to maximise your understanding of the topic.

However, you will need to complete watching the lecture and the activities before the next learning session.

Throughout the week there will be timetabled opportunities to meet your lecturers and other students on your course. You will work in groups on real world industry relevant problems which will help you to apply your learning and get feedback from your lecturers and other students. All of this will help you to engage with large and small groups, so you can strengthen your ‘voice’ and your confidence.

Timetabled activities will be supplemented by guided learning opportunities to prepare for assessments and to ensure you gain the confidence and employability skills for your future career.

We use a virtual learning environment which will host your accessible course and module information.

You will receive the same hours of guided learning and teaching as if you were on campus, but this will be shaped differently to reflect the way people learn online.

You can also use our online learning platforms to arrange conversations and meetings with your classmates and smaller working groups outside of the formal timetabled sessions.

If the time difference prevents you from taking part in a real-time session, you will be able to discuss with your lecturer how you can access the learning and teaching.

You will be supported to achieve your goals for assessment and learning through one-to-one contact with your lecturers, as well as access to fantastic set of tools and resources.

You will only be one click away from a member of Solent’s supportive and incredibly helpful staff. You can access support from the Student Hub, the Library and the Learning Technology Help desk. You can contact the teams via videoconferencing, telephone or email.

We also have comprehensive online support resources including our learning technologies induction and a Succeed@Solent study skills package to help you study and learn online.

We know that students come to Solent to study, to enjoy university life and make friends. Knowing this, we have worked hard to provide you with the opportunities to interact with other students throughout your digital experience.

At the start of your course you can meet other students through the induction (also known as orientation) activities provided by the Students' Union and your course. These will help you make friends from your own course and across the University.

You will interact with other students through the learning and teaching sessions, through group work, and any group assignments you are set.

You will have fun with access to social events whether you are physically or virtually on campus. You will be provided with a calendar of activities created in collaboration with the Students’ Union ensuring you have opportunities throughout the year to make friends easily.

Wherever possible we will provide online and self-directed activities to support the practical elements of your course. This may be through simulation, demonstration or group work tasks, depending on the nature of the course.

No. If you are being taught wholly online it is because you do not require specialist software. You will be provided with access to video conferencing and free technologies that may be used on your course.

We are unable to predict what the status of Covid-19 or any vaccines will be in the future, or what Government guidelines and travel restrictions will be. However, we are really looking forward to welcoming our students physically and safely onto campus at the earliest possible opportunity.

Yes. Although no face-to-face lectures, tutorials or seminars are taking place, you remain in term time, except for official vacation periods at Christmas, Easter and, for undergraduate students, during the summer. Therefore, your restricted working hours, as stated on your BRP, still apply.

View term dates and holidays

The Immigration Health Surcharge is paid for the validity of your visa. Therefore, if you apply for a visa starting in September you will pay the charge from September, even if you do not travel to the UK until a later date.

We monitor the attendance/engagement of all students and will continue to do so where study is online. If you are granted a Tier 4 visa and do not engage with your online studies the University will withdraw sponsorship and your visa will be cancelled.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the UK Home Office now issues 90-day entry vignettes, instead of the usual 30 days. This should provide you with enough flexibility to travel to the UK. However, if your entry vignette expires, you will need to apply for a replacement. This is currently free of charge until the end of 2020.

We will issue you with a CAS with a start date of September 2020. Due to the likelihood of extended visa processing time due to Covid-19, we recommend you submit your visa application as soon as possible to ensure you are able to arrive on campus when required.

Yes. If you hold a valid Tier 4 visa and successfully complete your course of study in the summer of 2021 or later, you will be eligible for the graduate visa even if part of your course is taught online.

Please note: to be eligible, you must enter the UK before 6 April 2021 and complete the final semester of your studies in the UK.

Exact details of the new UK immigration system/rules are still to be released. However, it is our understanding that if you arrive in the UK on or after 1 January 2021 you will require a student visa to study in the UK.

Students who arrive in the UK on or before 31 December 2020 will be able to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme, free of charge and be permitted to study without the need to apply for a visa.

We have developed several additional, flexible accommodation options, designed to complement the different modes of study. These options allow students to apply for accommodation that best suits their needs, on a short-let basis (1 week to 1 month), for a semester, as well as the more traditional full academic year.

If we were unable to provide you with University accommodation, we have excellent relationships with accredited private accommodation providers within the city and can help you with advice and support.

This means that your learning and teaching activities are designed to use both digital and onsite delivery, allowing a seamless transition between the two.

You are most likely studying on a hybrid course because your on-site access to specialist facilities is important for your learning outcomes in terms of knowledge and skills acquisition or for assessment.

The nature of your course will determine the balance of online and onsite delivery. But broadly speaking you will most likely be provided with an online lecture which will be shorter in length and interspersed with engaging activities.

The lecture and activities will be flexible, so it is easier for you to access these at a time that suits you and you can stop and start these to maximise your understanding of the topic.

However, you will need to complete watching the lecture and the activities before the next learning session.

Throughout the week there will be timetabled opportunities to meet your lecturers and other students on your course.

You will work in groups on real world industry relevant problems which will help you to apply your learning and get feedback from your lecturers and other students. All of this will help you to engage with large and small groups so you can strengthen your voice and your confidence.

We use a virtual learning environment which will host your accessible course and module information.

The library will be open for pre-booked resources and computers for study use.

There will be specialist facilities (eg, labs) made available on a pre-booked basis, as appropriate to your course of study.

Pre-booking is required to manage numbers and ensure social distancing.

There will also be events held by the Students' Union and the student societies and these may take place on campus or in the local Southampton area.

You should let the University know as soon as possible. There will still be a range of options open to you. These include arrangements for you to study the first part of your course at home – this will depend on whether it is possible for us to make the materials you need available to you and for you to achieve the learning outcomes for your course.

Another option is that we are able to offer you a course which is similar to the one you applied to but which does not require your attendance on campus.

If neither of these options is possible, it may be that we discuss the option of deferring your place so that you take up your place at Solent when you are able to travel.

The most important thing is that you keep in touch with us and let us know what your situation is and we will do everything we can to support you. Please contact student.hub@solent.ac.uk.

Yes, unless you are from a country which is on the exempt list. This list is likely to change regularly so please check the UK Government website prior to travelling.

On arrival in the UK you will need to self-isolate or quarantine and get tested for Covid-19. Please visit the UK Government website for up to date information here.

You may be fined up to £10,000 if you do not self-isolate when you need to.

Quarantine or self-isolation can be really difficult, and you might feel bored and lonely. The Solent Self Isolation Kit page will give you tips and support and our Wellbeing Team is here to help you

It's important you keep in touch and we recommend you have a PC, tablet or smartphone so you can access the student Portal, download the MySolent App and connect with the University's online learning platform, Solent Online Learning.

If you are in a University student residence, you will have access to the internet, but you need to ensure you have internet access if you are in private accommodation. 

The residence team will support those who are self-isolating by: 

• Ensuring a swift check-in procedure on arrival

• Providing a handbook in your room with lots of useful information 

• Arranging for deliveries and mail to be taken to your room 

• Residence staff available to call 24 hours a day if assistance is needed. 

Please join the Solent student residences Facebook group for the latest news and events across the Student Residences. 

Please follow the UK Government guidance for safe travel, and travel straight to the place where you will be self-isolating. Solent does not have a pickup service from the airport. 

Download the NHS app.

Keep up to date on the NHS website

Advice is provided on the Southampton City Council website for Southampton residents.

Get tested: You can book a test at Solent

Alternatively, you can book a test online at GOV.UK, or by calling NHS 119.

Follow government guidelines regarding self-isolation  if you have symptoms or test positive and email covid.support@solent.ac.uk .

If you live in a student residence you must also notify them.

Get help if you feel unwell but are comfortable at home. 

Access our new Get Ready to Learn programme to prepare you for studying at Solent. 

Currently the nationality officers have suspended their operations due to Covid-19. For the latest information about Hampshire Nationality service visit the Hampshire Police website.

If you already have a police registration certificate that needs updating, you should contact your local police station (by phone or email). You should make them aware that you are self-isolating and make arrangements for any updates after the 14 day period.  What are the current UK guidelines regarding how to self-isolate when I travel to the UK?