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Information for parents
Your daughter or son is about to embark on a life-changing experience. We know that this is a time of excitement and anticipation for not only your child but also for you. Sending your child away to college is difficult for any parent, but sending them to college in a foreign country is often even more difficult. This section tries to address many of the issues that will be most important to you as a parent.
Choosing a course and an educational institution that provides the best prospects for the future involves detailed research and effort, but rest assured that there are lots of ways that Edinburgh’s Telford College can help you and your son or daughter prepare for the most exciting time of their life.
Safety and Security in Edinburgh and the UK
The UK is regarded as a very safe and secure country to live in with strict laws governing immigration, crime and anti-racism . Scotland has relatively low levels of crime compared to the rest of the UK and Edinburgh itself is a very safe city for students. Of course, like everywhere in the world, there are undesirable areas that should be avoided and we will provide full information to new students during their Induction Days (If any students cannot attend these days, all information will be available to them when they arrive).
For more information about Edinburgh’s local police force, please see www.lbp.police.uk
Healthcare in the UK
If your son or daughter is studying on a course that is longer than 6 months, they will qualify for free healthcare from the National Health Service (NHS).
It is the responsibility of the student to register with a local doctor and dentist and we will assist them with this procedure. The majority of International students rarely need to see a doctor or dentist but we always advise that they register in case of emergency.
We advise all students to have a Meningitis vaccination before starting at College.
If there is anything else you would like to know, please email our international team or call them on + 44 (0) 131 559 4073/4855.
We are committed to ensuring that every possible provision is made to look after the well-being of all our students. The information and “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ’s) list below should hopefully to help answer some of the questions you may have.
We understand that leaving your home country to study in the UK can be hard. That's why we have a dedicated international student team. They're on hand whenever help is needed - right from the very first day when they meet your son or daughter on arrival.
Every student also has a personal tutor, who keeps a check on attendance and progress.
Unlike UK universities, colleges are not given a ranking. However, you can have full confidence in the quality of education your son or daughter will get at Edinburgh’s Telford College.
We're one of the largest public colleges in Scotland and are funded by the UK government. This means our staff, courses and facilities are regularly checked to make sure our teaching is of the highest standard.
Many of our international students choose to live in lodgings near the college. This means they rent a room in someone's home.
Other students live in student residential accommodation. We have a brand new apartment complex on campus with 110 five-bedroom apartments.
Every course has a different timetable, so there's no simple answer to this question. But all students have at least 16 hours tuition every week. These are the hours your son or daughter needs to be in class; they'll also have work to do in their own time.
For the best chance of success, we advise every student to attend every class, lecture or tutorial on their timetable.
We know that sometimes this is not possible, but please do all you can to help your son or daughter. Arrange your family trips in holiday time, not term time. We can’t guarantee that students can catch up after a long absence.
- If a student is ill, they need to contact their personal tutor.
- If a student wants time off, they must first talk to their personal tutor to see if this is OK.
Any time a student is not in college and we have not said it is OK for them to miss the class, they will be marked absent.
We have a duty to report any student who is absent ten times to the UK Border Agency (UKBA).
If the UKBA is not happy with the reasons for absence, they can decide to cancel the student's visa, send them back to their home country and ban them from returning to the UK for 10 years.
Yes. Students doing an HND course in Scotland can work up to 20 hours a week while studying and up to 40 hours a week during holidays.
Personal tutors give students regular feedback throughout the year. If there are any problems or difficulties, this is an ideal time to discuss them. You can also arrange to speak with your son or daughter’s tutor directly. Call us on + 44 (0) 131 559 4000 Monday to Friday between 0900 and 1600 GMT to arrange a telephone appointment. Alternatively you could email us
All students have work to do in their own time. Some of this may play a part in their final grade. Some students take this work home, others use the learning resource centres on campus.
Our students come from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds, and our social and welfare programme reflects this.
We recognise that some international students will want to follow their traditional or religious practices and celebrate their festivals. Often, these are already part of our social calendar.
There are different fees for different courses. See Fees
When looking at the cost of study, you also need to include money your son or daughter will need to live on.
As a guide, this will be at least £6,000 a year.
The UK is regarded as a very safe and secure country to live in. We have strict laws on immigration, crime and racism. Scotland has relatively low levels of crime compared with the rest of the UK and Edinburgh itself is a very safe city for students.
Of course, like everywhere in the world, there are areas of the city that are best avoided. We tell students about these places and how to stay safe soon after they arrive.
For more information, see the Lothian and Borders Police website.
All international students doing a course longer than six months, qualify for free healthcare from the National Health Service (NHS).
But first your son or daughter must register with a local doctor and dentist. We will help them do this. Many students never need to see a doctor or dentist, but it's best to register in case of emergency.
We advise all students to have a meningitis vaccination before starting their course.
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Edinburgh's Telford College, 350 West Granton Road, Edinburgh, EH51QE. Tel: +44 (0) 131 559 4000, Fax: + 44 (0) 131 559 4111.
Edinburgh's Telford College is a registered Scottish Charity - No. SC021213.
Edinburgh's Telford College is a registered Scottish Charity - No. SC021213.