The University of Essex has launched a health bursary for Indian students to cover the cost of the UK’s immigration health surcharge for the duration of their postgraduate course.
According to a press release issued by the University, the move is aimed at supporting Indian Masters by ensuring that they are not deterred by the surcharge which increased to £766 each year from 6 February 2024.
The cash bursary covers the cost of the surcharge up to the value of £766 and is available to postgraduate-taught students only. It would be reimbursed to the student upon successful completion of the health bursary application form, subject to eligibility criteria, and terms and conditions.
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This extra financial support will be available to Masters students starting their courses in October 2024 or January 2025 and is in addition to the University’s Academic Excellence Scholarship for India residents, which is worth between £3,000 and £4,000, the release read.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Anthony Forster said that the University does not want an increase in the immigration health surcharge cost to be an additional barrier for students keen to come to study at Essex.
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Prof Fortster, who informed that the health bursary has been launched during his visit to India, stated that the University of Essex remains an incredibly welcoming place for Indian students, and it is doing everything that can be done to support Indian students.
Notably, the immigration health surcharge was introduced in 2015 as a way for migrants to make a financial contribution to the cost of NHS care they may require while in the UK.
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