FAQs for new students

Answers to frequently asked questions

We've compiled a list of frequently asked questions by new students below. You can also ask our friendly KU ChatBot anything you need to know, just click on the pink icon at the bottom of the screen. If you have further questions and want to get in touch, email us at welcome@kingston.ac.uk.

Accommodation

When can I move into my student accommodation?

Your halls licence will indicate your expected move-in date. For more information about moving in see our Halls Licence and Student Halls Guide.

How do I book a room?

Applications for halls of residence are now open. If you have accepted a Conditional Firm (CF) or Unconditional Firm (UF) offer for a full-time course you should have been contacted by email and invited to apply.

See our accommodation web pages for more information. If you have any questions about halls, you can contact the accommodation team on accommodation@kingston.ac.uk or phone 020 8417 7311.

How do I pay my rent?

The first instalment of rent is due on 12 October 2023. The most common way to pay halls fees is through instalments, provided you have set up a Recurring Card Payment Instruction (RCP) using an International or UK-issued bank card. (Please note, if you are from the USA and will be fully funding your studies with Federal Student Loans, do not set up an RCP as your hall fees will be deducted from your loans.)

For more information about how to do this see our accommodation costs web page.

I am a Clearing student, but I haven't received a booking link for accommodation. What can I do?

You will not receive an email inviting you to apply for halls of residence until you have accepted your Clearing offer to study at Kingston on UCAS. You must log into UCAS to accept your offer and then allow 24 hours to receive the accommodation email.

Is there parking in my halls of residence?

We have limited free parking in most of our halls of residence (except 75 Penrhyn Road and Seething Wells). You can speak to your site team at reception about parking upon arrival.

Enrolment

When can I enrol?

You will be contacted via email from 31 August and asked to complete your online enrolment. For full details about the enrolment process see our Enrolment web pages.

How do I complete my enrolment?

Enrolment is the process you need to complete in order to become an official Kingston University student. There are several steps to complete, which you can find more information on our enrolment webpage.

What identity documents do I need to provide?

For full details on the identification process see our Enrolment web page.

UK and EU students can provide either:

One item from the following: passport; UK photographic driving licence; Citizen Card or other form of identity with the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) approved hologram; Kingston University ID Card; EU Identity Photographic Card.

Or, two items from the following (which collectively should contain your date of birth and photographic ID): birth certificate; UK bank card; National Insurance card; National Health Service card; EU medical card (EHIC); SLC final assessment form/schedule of payments; original qualification certificates; Inland Revenue photographic registration card; UK FE/HE photographic student ID card; staff photographic ID card; international photographic driving licence.

Non-UK/EU nationals must provide:

The original valid passport that you may have uploaded to OSIS earlier (if the Home Office is holding this, an official Home Office letter may be acceptable instead).

Where can I find my OSIS password?

You will have received an email from us with your username (Kingston University ID) and password to log into OSIS, our applicant and student portal, when you first applied to Kingston University. This will also appear in any emails we send you about your enrolment.

If you experience any problems with OSIS, please log an enquiry with the University's IT Service Desk, providing your name, Kingston University ID and information about the problem you are having. Or you can contact them (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6.30pm) via 020 8417 3355.

When do I need to arrive on campus?

All students are expected to arrive in time for Welcome Week and Induction, which start on Monday 18 September 2023.

Where do I get my student ID card?

Once you have fully enrolled you will be invited to book a slot to have your ID card printed at one of our Libraries.

If you would like to change your ID card image you need to contact our IT service desk to have the image removed so you can upload another image.

Fees and funding

How and when do I pay my fees?

You must confirm how you intend to pay for your course before you enrol to study. View our pre-enrolment payment checklist for more details.

International students will need to pay a minimum of 50% of your course fees in cleared funds prior to enrolment.

I haven't applied for my undergraduate student loan yet - can I still apply?

Don't worry if you missed the full-time undergraduate student finance deadline. You can still apply and get some money in time for the start of your course. See gov.uk for step-by step guidance on what to do next.

I need help with my student finance application. Who can I ask?

You can call one of our money advisers on +44 (0)20 8417 7311 or email them at studentfunding@kingston.ac.uk.

What payment options are available to me if I am not getting an undergraduate tuition fee loan?

Before your enrolment can be completed you will need to have organised how you will be paying for your tuition fees. See our online guide to how to pay your fees to find out the different payment options available.

Your timetable and course induction

When does my course start?

All students are expected to arrive in time for Welcome Week and Induction, which starts on Monday 18 September 2023. If your course starts earlier than Monday 18 September, your faculty will contact you with more information.

How can I find my course timetable?

You will be able to access your teaching timetable once you are enrolled and assigned to your modules. You will be able to view your personal teaching timetable via the KU app or using the University VLE (Canvas) and also in SEAtS (Check in App).

Depending on your course, it may take up to 48 hours (not including weekends) for you to see your full timetable. It may take time for the full timetable to emerge as you are added to modules.

When can I see my timetable?

After completing your online enrolment (from 31 August), your individual teaching timetable for the first teaching block (September-December) will start to emerge – it may take a little time, as you are added to each module. Your full teaching timetable should be fully published before Welcome Week begins.

Where can I find my course induction schedule?

Your course induction schedule shows all your compulsory course induction activity. It is different from your teaching timetable. Your course induction schedule will be available to view on the Welcome section of the KU App from early July 2023.

Do I have to attend my course induction?

Course induction sessions are mandatory as they form a key part of your introduction to the course and the University.

Disability and mental health support

I have a disability; how do I access support?

Our disability and mental health advisers co-ordinate support arrangements and resources to enable students with disabilities to benefit fully from their time at Kingston University. Students with long-term health conditions, mental health conditions, physical or sensory impairments and specific learning differences, such as dyslexia, are all entitled to support.

Email the disability team on disability@kingston.ac.uk or call +44 (0)20 8417 7314 to discuss how we can support you.

International Students

Arriving in a new country can be exciting, but also a bit overwhelming. We've put together all the pre-arrival information you need to help you prepare.

For even more information, check out our Arrivals and orientation section.

How do I request a CAS number?

You can request your Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) number via the Online Student Information System (OSIS). This can be done up to six months prior to your course start date, if you've accepted an unconditional offer and uploaded all your supporting documents. See our webpage on CAS requests for a list of the documents you need to provide to request your CAS.

After our CAS team has checked your supporting documents, and you have approved your draft CAS, you will receive a copy of your final CAS statement by email (the CAS statement is a paperless 'e-document'). This will usually be within 10 working days but can take up to 15 working days during peak times.

Can I request my CAS during the UCAS embargo?

If you hold a firm unconditional offer for an undergraduate course and haven't yet requested your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS ), you will be able to do so in-between UCAS embargos (after 9am (BST) on 8 August until 2pm (BST) on 11 August 2023). If you don't yet have your results, please upload them on OSIS as soon as possible.

If you hold a firm unconditional offer for a postgraduate course and have applied directly to us, you can request your CAS now. Please don't delay, so you are able to arrive in time for Welcome and Induction on 18 September 2023.

Is there a taxi pick-up service?

We subsidise the cost of a taxi, meaning you will pay a discounted rate of £20* per person for any journey from Heathrow and Gatwick airport, or £30** per person from St. Pancras International, to the Kingston area.

See our Arrivals and orientation page for details on how to book.

*Standard taxi rate from Heathrow/Gatwick airport to the Kingston area is approximately £50 depending on the time of travel.

**Standard taxi rate from St. Pancras International to the Kingston area is approximately £70 depending on the time of travel.

How do I collect my Biometric Residence Permit?

See our detailed guidance on how to collect your Biometric Residence Permit.

Can I open a bank account before I arrive in the UK?

To open most UK bank accounts, you normally need to be a UK resident first. For information about what documents you'll need to open an account, visit our Money Matters page.

Why do I need to complete an ID check?

The Government requires us to check every student's identity. This year we are completing these checks virtually, to avoid queues, by matching the identity document that you uploaded against your ID card photo.

I am having difficulties uploading a document or image for my ID check. Can you help?

If you are having problems uploading a document to complete your ID check please log an IT Service Desk enquiry through our IT service desk portal or via the KU mobile app.

You can also contact our IT service desk by telephone or online chat. Please have your K number ready when you contact the team (e.g. K123456).

Travel and parking

How can I travel between campuses?

Our free intersite bus service connects you to all four of our campuses and, importantly, to Kingston and Surbiton train stations. Plus, there are live updates on the Kingston University app so you don't have to worry about missing one!

Can I park on campus?

At Kingston Hill, parking is only available to students if Kingston Hill is your main campus of study. You can apply for a free ‘Kingston Hill' parking permit via My Kingston (our student portal) once you have completed your enrolment.

Student parking is not available at our Penrhyn Road, Knights Park or Roehampton Vale campuses during core working hours (7.30am to 4.30pm). However, outside these hours students can apply for a free ‘Evening' parking permit and use the limited parking at Penrhyn Road, Knights Park, Roehampton Vale and Kingston Hill campus on a first-come, first-served basis.

You will be required to hold a valid parking permit or risk receiving a penalty. You can apply for a free parking permit via the My Kingston student portal once you have completed your enrolment.

If you have any additional questions, please contact us at carparking@kingston.ac.uk.

Welcome and Freshers events

Where can I find details of Welcome and Freshers events?

Get the lowdown on all the exciting events that are in store for students on the first week at Kingston, on our Welcome and Induction Week webpage.

Your Welcome and Induction explained

Follow our steps to Kingston where we outline everything you need to do, and when, before you join us. How enrolment works, the process you go through to becoming an official Kingston student and what you can expect from your Welcome and Induction Week.

Your steps to Kingston

1. Read the pre-arrival checklist

Make sure you're ready to join us by reading our handy checklist of things to do before you arrive.

Get started

2. Complete your enrolment

The most important thing you need to do to become an official Kingston student is to enrol.

How to enrol

3. Attend Welcome and Induction Week

Get the lowdown on what's in store for you on your first week at Kingston.

Plan your week

Help and advice

Whether you have a specific a question to ask or just want to speak to someone who's been there done that, we're here to help.

FAQs for new students

Get answers now to the questions most frequently asked by new students.

If you have further queries and want to get in touch, email us at welcome@kingston.ac.uk.

Speak to a current student

Start a convo and chat with our current students to find out all about what life is really like at Kingston!

Useful information

Browse the pages below to find more useful information – we'll be updating this information throughout the year, so be sure to bookmark this page for more useful information.