FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

    A. The minimum age limit is 16, and there is no upper age limit.

    A. Most of our students are between the ages of 20 and 30. However, we also have many students both below and above this range..

    A. London is divided into 6 zones, Zone 1 being the centre of London and Zone 6 the area furthest from the centre. You can download a map of all zones and tube stations here from the Transport for London web site. OHC is located in Zone 1 (near Oxford Circus) and our accommodation is located in Zones 1-4.

    A. It is possible to do this but it could prove too difficult to arrange given that the person below 16 could not study at OHC or stay in our accommodation. In other words, the only way to do this would be to stay in private accommodation and find a school or childminder with which/whom you could leave the child while you are in class.

    A. You can apply for your course as early as you like and there is no official deadline for enrolment. However, given that all of the course and accommodation options we offer are subject to availability, we recommend that you apply as far in advance as possible so as to have the best chance of getting a place on your preferred course and in your preferred accommodation.

    A. All course and accommodation fees are the same for all students.

    A. Yes. OHC has extensive library facilities as well as a popular cafe where students meet to chat and enjoy a snack.

    A. Yes. OHC students have access to the latest information technology. This includes both fixed and wireless broadband internet access.

    A. For many of the courses we offer it is possible to arrange/attend a trial lesson before enrolling. To find out if this is possible for your chosen course, please contact us directly.

    A. Yes. OHC also has a school in Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon. Please follow the links to visit the websites.

    A. Estimates of the cost of living in the UK for international students can be found here.

    A. Unfortunately, our accommodation is for OHC students only. Due to high demand and limited availability you can only stay in our accommodation if you study with us. Therefore, even if you are coming to London with someone else who will be studying with us, we cannot provide you with accommodation.

    A. No. You can arrange accommodation by yourself if you wish.

    A. You can certainly request to share a room with a friend if you will both study here at OHC, and we will of course do our best to arrange this for you. However, we cannot guarantee this. You should make this request at the same time or after you apply by noting it on your application form, or alternatively, by sending an e-mail to residence@oxfordhouse.co.uk.

    A. In this case you should inform us of the situation as soon as possible so that we can make an alternative arrangement for you.

    A. If you would like to apply for a shared room in one of our student hostels or summer university residences, it is possible for us to find a roommate for you. However, this is not possible as far as our homestay accommodation is concerned.

    A. In this case you should note your request on your application form. You can also contact us directly. Depending on your request we may be able to help you and, in any case, we will certainly answer your questions.

    A. All of the accommodation we offer is for arrival and departure on Sundays - this is the period covered in the price. However, you can leave before the end of this period and it may also be possible to arrive the day before. To find out about this, please contact us directly. On the other hand, it is not possible to stay in our accommodation after you have finished your course.

    A. There is no internet access at the student hostels and it is unlikely that there will be in the homestays either. However, there is free broadband internet access for all students at the college.

    A. You will be notified of the exact address of the accommodation no sooner than one week before the starting date of your course. We cannot disclose this information to prospective students.

    A. Provided you apply for a one-week course you can also book accommodation for one week only. To find out the price of this and how to apply, please contact us. On the other hand, if your course is for two weeks or more, you must book accommodation for at least 2 weeks.

    A. All accommodation fees are payable in advance.

    A. It is certainly possible to extend your period of accommodation or to move to other accommodation. To do so you should make this request as far in advance as possible and we will do our best to accommodate you. We would then settle the balance and you would not have to pay any extra charges.

    A. If you are under 18 you can only stay in homestay accommodation, but not our student hostels or summer university residences.

    A. All bills are included.

    A. There are 6 General English levels, from Beginner to Advanced. We will test your current level of English when you begin your course to make sure you are placed in the right class.

    A. We do have a copy of our written test both on our website and on our application form. If you do the test online you can send us your test score by fax/e-mail along with your application or simply bring it when you arrive.

    A. If you are a complete beginner we may not have a suitable class for you. Please contact us to find out if we do.

    A. If you would like to take one of our specialised English courses including Cambridge Exam courses, IELTS, English for Business Success, Conversation & Pronunciation, Writing Skills or English and London, you must have a level of English of at least upper intermediate.

    A. Yes. To find out the price of one week on your preferred course, please contact us.

    A. You can apply for more than one English course. However, it is not possible to apply for more than one course at the same time using our online booking form. Therefore, you should either make separate applications online or, alternatively, apply for both courses using our application form.

    A. After you have completed your course you will receive a certificate confirming your attendance as well as the progress you have made / the level you have reached. You will take a Progress Test at the end of each month but there is no exam unless you are taking an exam course.

    A. It is possible for existing OHC students to attend classes led by our trainee teachers under the supervision of an experienced teacher, free of charge.

    A. Exam fees and course books are not included in the course fees but photocopies of all materials used in class are provided. Students are required to buy a copy of their course book. It is possible that there will be a second hand copy of the relevant course book for sale in our library.

    A. All course fees are payable in advance. You could pay for two or three week courses at a time if you wish, but please note that this would be more expensive than paying for a longer course in advance. To reserve your place you just need to pay a £130 deposit.

    A. It is possible to extend your period of study or to change to another course. To do so you should make this request as far in advance as possible and we will do our best to accommodate you. We would then settle the balance and you would not have to pay any extra charges.

    A. The Intensive English course combines General English with an option of English for Business Success, Conversation & Pronunciation, IELTS or Cambridge Exam Preparation or, alternatively, further General English.

    A. If you are from outside the European Union you must obtain a visa to enter the United Kingdom.

    A. Usually the UK Home Office will provide you with a tourist visa if you will be studying for less than 6 months and a student visa if you will be studying for more than 6 months. If you get a tourist visa you will not be allowed to work while you are in the UK. If you come to the UK on a student visa, however, you will be allowed to work part-time for up to 20 hours a week.

    A. You can obtain more information from and apply to the British Consulate or High Commission in your country. To obtain a student visa you must prove that you will be studying full time (15 hours p.w.) and that you can support yourself financially while you are studying in the UK.

    A. To get a letter of acceptance from OHC for an English language course you must pay at the very least a deposit of £130 and a third of your course fees. However, given that the amount you pay in advance can influence the decision of the Home Office we would recommend that you pay at leaset 50% of your total course fees in advance. As far as our management courses are concerned, the amount you must pay in advance to get a letter of acceptance from OHC depends on your nationality. For more information, please contact us directly.

    A. If you cancel your course before arrival due to visa refusal, we will refund your course fees in full minus a £50 cancellation charge. Please note that we need to see the original refusal letter in order to give you a refund and you must apply for the refund within 6 months of the date of the visa refusal.

    A. If you enter the UK on a student visa you are allowed to work part-time (up to 20 hours per week) during your period of study and full-time during your holidays. Of course, your chances of actually finding a job very much depend on your level of English, degree of work experience and how long you will be in the UK.

    A. No. Given that the work placement forms part of an academic course it is not the same as a job, so you only need to get a student visa to be able to do it.

    A. Yes, provided of course that your tourist visa does not expire before the finishing date of your chosen course.

    A. You must let us know as soon as you find out about the delay and we will then advise you as to how to proceed.

    A. You can call into your nearest British Council office or, alternatively, visit the UK visa website by following this link.

    A. You can pay by credit card or you could arrange a bank transfer. If you pay by bank transfer you must send us a copy of the bank transfer so that we can process your booking. Please ask the bank to give your name as a reference. Bank charges (if any) must be paid by you on arrival. Finally, you can also send us a cheque if it is drawn from a UK-based bank.

    A. You can pay your fees in a foreign currency. To do so you must calculate the amount according to the relevant exchange rate on the day you make your payment. After you make your payment we will convert it into pound sterling according to the exchange rate on the day we receive your payment. We will then settle the balance when you arrive (i.e. if you have paid too much we will refund you the difference and if you have paid too little we will ask you to pay the rest).

    A. Yes.

    A. Yes. We can provide invoices if required. To be able to do so we need to know your chosen course (including the class times), the start date and the duration, as well as the address or fax number to which we should send the invoice. You do not have to pay anything for this service.

    A. If you are a British or an EU student and you would like to study on one of the fast-track university degree courses we offer, you could apply for a Career Development Loan from a bank. Loans, scholarships or other forms of financial assistance are not available to international students or for the other courses we offer.

    A. Both the registration fee and the accommodation fee are necessary charges to cover administrative costs.

    A. No. The registration fee is not refundable.

    A. No. The accommodation finding fee is not refundable.

    A. No. It is only necessary to pay this fee once to cover the initial cost of registering you as an OHC student. After you are registered there is no need to pay the registration fee again.

    A. Yes. The accommodation finding fee is payable in respect of all of the accommodation options we offer.