Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

I've spent over £40,000 to study in London as an international student

I've spent over £40,000 to study in London as an international student

I stood still on the central London pavement as I tried to work out the cheapest way to get home.

‘I live in Islington, so I could walk to either Warren Street or Tottenham Court Road station and get the Tube,’ I thought to myself. ‘But that is almost twice as much as what the bus would cost.’

It would be a 27-minute walk, but I had already walked 6,000 steps that day and I hadn’t eaten anything in six hours, so what if I felt light-headed? Breakfast was an indulgent cheese omelette and I had leftover rice and pulses waiting for me at home for dinner.

‘Could I treat myself to sushi?’ I bargained with myself. It was the end of the day, so it’d only be around £5. ‘No, I’ll just get the bus’.

This is the daily struggle I have as an international student from India living in the UK – everything is tightly budgeted down to the last penny. It’s the sacrifice I – and my parents – have made for my education.

I must acknowledge my class privilege


When I was living in Lucknow in India, I had a very comfortable upbringing. Whatever I needed, my family and I always made it work.

I grew up in a culture of home cooked meals, cheap cab fares, rickshaws that would never cost more than the equivalent of 40p, easy domestic help, a car – not to mention the emotional support of family members’ shoulders to cry on. I must acknowledge my class privilege that allowed me these luxuries – it’s something I’m really grateful for.

In the background to this though, the country’s been grappling with a difficult political environment. As a Muslim, I saw my community being marginalised and facing lynching, Islamophobia, or discrimination when it came to job opportunities or housing, as well as being pushed out of higher social and political spaces.

Before I’d even flown over, my family and I budgeted for my first year in London


Personally, I felt powerless to do anything about it and this severely impacted my mental health. It felt like we were stuck in a bog with no stable footing. This is one of the major reasons why I decided to move to the UK in September last year.

I applied to SOAS University of London for its one-year Gender and Law master’s programme, which I was overjoyed to be accepted into. I didn’t know anyone in the UK – apart from a few school and family friends – so the idea of packing up my entire life and leaving my comfortable home was scary.

Before I’d even flown over, my family and I budgeted for my first year in London.

My parents took out a loan of £23,400, which is the tuition fee for the master’s programme. Then I personally contributed three years’ worth of savings, which I had from working as a writer and programme manager for an NGO.

I just couldn’t be OK with the idea of spending money on myself


On top of this, my parents sold a piece of land that funded the rest of the expenses – including the visa (£363), health surcharge (£470), accommodation (£8,640), travel (£2,000), as well as food, transportation and miscellaneous spending costs (£6,000).

In total, that’s £40,873. But in Indian currency? That’s over 4million rupees. For perspective, that’s enough to buy a three-bedroom apartment in my city.

Once I arrived in London in September, I spent an endless amount of time making financial decisions. Spending every pound gave me anxiety and the determination to maximise my experience on a budget soon became a headache.

I can’t even work to earn some money on the side while I study because of how intense the master’s programme is


I had to think before buying any meal, drink or choosing a mode of transport. And I felt as if every penny that I spent that belonged to my family – and not to me – was a drain to their resources.

Maybe a little bit of South Asian elder daughter generational trauma had also kicked in here. I just couldn’t be OK with the idea of spending money on myself.

Soon enough, I came to know the full London experience – strike days that turned into weeks, fluctuating Tube prices and onions that are more expensive than an entire Indian meal. On top of that, there’s the cost-of-living crisis – and I can’t even work to earn some money on the side while I study because of how intense the master’s programme is.

The UK is wonderful


Unfortunately, this financial strain has impacted my social life too.

When I had barely been in London for a month, I was invited to an event by one of my new university friends, which cost £30. For the first time in my life, I told someone: ‘I am sorry but I cannot make it because this is not something I can afford right now.’

A week later, she told me that I clearly didn’t care enough about her or her event because I did not show up ‘on the pretence of not having money’. I had never been made to feel so small and it hurt to be humiliated like that.

Maybe for her, £30 wasn’t a big deal but it was one week’s worth of groceries for me. I didn’t understand the entitlement and the ignorance when it came to understanding how the cost of living crisis and immigration impacts everyone differently.

Now – after nine months of being in the UK, I am almost done with my course and am starting my journey to look for jobs, but I am so worried all the time.

In my mind, if I don’t find a good job here, I will never be able to pay back my parents for the help they gave me to move halfway across the world.

I hope – despite the odds and financial pressures stacked against me – that I am able to carve out a space and create a name for myself here.

My advice for international students moving to the UK would be to prepare for it financially a couple of years in advance. This way, you will be more ready to deal with the monetary responsibility that will fall on your shoulders.

The UK is wonderful – and there is so much you can do that won’t cost you a lot, like free museums.

For me, the opportunity to build a better life – and a much safer one – for myself makes the journey worth it.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
×