CAS and Deposit information

If you require a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) to secure a Student visa, it is important that you prepare all the necessary documents so that you can request a CAS as soon as you are eligible. If you satisfy all our requirements and we have received and confirmed all the necessary documentation, the University can issue you with a CAS up to 6 months before the start of your course.

Deadlines:

Please note the FINAL deadline for you to pay your tuition fee deposit (if required), and submit all relevant documentation, including acceptable financial evidence (if required) is:

20th December 2024 – for postgraduate entry in January 2025

5th November 2024 - booking portal opens for postgraduate entry in January 2025. You must have paid your deposit before you are able to access the booking portal.

We will be unable to proceed with any CAS requests if full and correct information is not received in time, in which case your application to study with us will be withdrawn.

We aim to process CAS requests within 14 business days, but it may take longer depending on several factors including the course, immigration history, financial evidence checks, or if any information is missing or insufficient.

 

Tuition Fee Deposit:

You may be required to pay a tuition fee deposit to secure your place to study with us. If so, the amount you need to pay will be specified in your offer letter (unless you are exempt from paying a deposit).

Please note that tuition fee deposits are non-refundable except for in exceptional circumstances, as outlined in our policy. You should therefore only pay a deposit and proceed with your CAS application once you are certain that you wish to proceed with your application to study at Aberystwyth University

 

Accommodation:

Most international students are eligible for our International Accommodation Award. This award means that for students who choose to live in our on-campus Cwrt Mawr blocks, the cost of housing is fully covered within their tuition fees at no extra cost. Terms and conditions apply. 

The accommodation booking portal opens in mid-April for September intake, and mid-November for January intake. Most students will need to have paid their tuition-fee deposit to access it. 

Please note we are not able to provide family accommodation.

Teaching for our courses is in-person, so if you choose not to live in a University-owned property, you (and any dependants listed on your visa) must live in or close to Aberystwyth to ensure that you are able to attend classes.

Once eligible to begin your CAS application, you will be sent an email link to the Enroly CAS Shield system. This online system will guide you through the application process and show you where to upload all documents relating to your CAS request. It can take some time to complete all the steps and for your documents to be verified, so we recommend you begin the process as soon as possible.

Important note: we are unable to accept documents emailed to us – it is your responsibility to ensure all the required information is uploaded to CAS Shield, even if you have already sent it to us.

If you are applying through a university-appointed education agent, they may be able to access CAS Shield so that they can access your details and upload documents on your behalf. Please view the information page for your country for details of our authorised education agents. 

You should only complete the CAS Shield process once you are certain that you wish to proceed with your application to study at Aberystwyth University, as you will be required to pay a tuition fee deposit (unless you are exempt from paying a deposit)

Tuition Fee Deposit:

You may be required to pay a tuition fee deposit to secure your place to study with us. If so, the amount you need to pay will be specified in your offer letter (unless you are exempt from paying a deposit). This is to demonstrate your commitment to studying at Aberystwyth University, giving us confidence to issue you with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), which you will need to apply for your Student visa. Where a deposit is required, details will be given in your offer letter. Deposits paid will form part of your tuition fee payments and will be deducted from your tuition fee balance.

Please note that tuition fee deposits are only refunded in exceptional circumstances, as explained in our policy. You should therefore only pay a deposit and proceed with your CAS application once you are certain that you wish to proceed with your application to study at Aberystwyth University.

Applicants can pay the tuition fee deposit directly to Aberystwyth University via International Deposit Payments.

Step 1: Login to CAS Shield.

Step 2: You may need to undertake a pre-CAS recorded interview where we will ask you about your decision to study with us.

Step 3: Once we confirm your pre-CAS interview has been successful, you can proceed to make your tuition fee deposit payment and upload your financial evidence, showing that you have sufficient funding for your studies. 

Step 4:  You can then proceed to upload the rest of the required documents:

• A colour scan of your passport (we would advise that you ensure your passport is valid for the duration of your course. (If you are going to renew your passport, do this before you begin your CAS application).
• Your academic transcripts colour scan copy.
• Evidence of your English language ability, eg IELTS certificate (which is no more than 2 years old).
• Evidence of your tuition fee deposit payment (amount as specified in your offer letter; the deposit will be offset against your tuition fees).
• ATAS certificate (if required for your course).

Step 5: When all of the relevant information has been verified, we will issue a draft CAS – this is your opportunity to check the details very carefully to ensure they are correct.  Once a final CAS has been issued, we are not able to change any details so please check the document carefully.  Once you have confirmed that the information in the draft CAS is correct, we will send you a copy of your CAS by email which contains the information you need to include with your online visa application.

Applying for your Student visa:
As soon as you have received your CAS, you are ready to apply for your Student visa.  Please contact the International Student Adviser if you have any questions or need help when applying for your Student visa.

 

Please see our visa and immigration web pages for information about who will be required to provide financial evidence to secure a CAS and apply for a Student visa.

As part of the CAS issuing process, you may be asked to supply evidence to demonstrate you have the financial resources to undertake your studies. If this is the case, you will be notified in your offer letter and through the CAS Shield process.  The requirements are very specific, so it is important that your documents meet ALL of the requirements outlined.

 

How much money do I need to show?

You need to show that you have a specific amount of money available to cover your tuition fees and living costs while you are in the UK.  This money must be readily available to you and you must have had the total amount of money in the bank account for at least 28 consecutive days.  The end date of the 28-day period must be within 31 days of the date you apply for your CAS.  Please ensure you maintain the funds in your account until you have applied for your visa.

If you intend to bring any dependants with you, you will need to show that you have an additional amount per person, per month.

You can only use financial evidence that is acceptable to the Home Office.  You will need to provide evidence that you have enough money from one of, or a combination of the following:

1. Personal Bank Account
2. Parent/Guardian Bank Account
3. Bank Letter
4. Fixed Deposit Certificate, accompanied by a bank letter
5. Student Loan
6. Official Sponsorship

Currency

If converting from any currency to GPB, we advise you to be aware of potential fluctuations in currency exchange rates and maintain some extra funds above and beyond the amount of money specified in your CAS (remember that you also need to show you have enough for your living costs).  You must use www.oanda.com for any currency conversion calculations.

Prohibited financial institutions:

We cannot consider financial evidence from financial institutions where:

• the Home Office is unable to make satisfactory verification checks
• the financial institution is not regulated by the appropriate regulatory body for the country in which that institution is operating
• the financial institution does not maintain electronic records

 

It is very important that you provide all of the information requested in the format requested.  Incorrect financial evidence is one of the most common reasons for not being able to issue a CAS, for example:

• Financial evidence did not contain all the relevant information (logo, account number, name, date, bank contact details, official financial sponsor information)
• The required amount of money was not held for 28 days, or there was no evidence to clearly show money was held for 28 days, e.g. only showing one date on a bank statement
• A change in the currency exchange rate resulting in a devaluation of the required amount within the 28 days
• Financial evidence provided was too old (not dated, or closing balance within 31 days of submission)
• Copies of official documents were not provided
• Invalid financial evidence was used, e.g. credit card statement, stocks/shares, family business account, payslips)
• Did not include relevant supporting documents (e.g. birth certificate and letter of consent if using parents’ bank statement)

Important Notes:

• Do I need an ATAS certificate?
• Translation requirements for documents not in English.
• English language ability: most applicants requiring a CAS must demonstrate their English language ability with a Secure English Language Test (IELTS is the most commonly accepted test). The certificate must be no more than two years old.  Information on the level you need to be accepted onto our courses can be found on our website.  If you are a national of a majority English-speaking country, or if you have completed a degree level course in a majority English-speaking country, you may not need to provide evidence of your English language capability
• Aberystwyth University is under no legal obligation to issue a CAS to individuals and we reserve the right to withhold a CAS where this is justified in light of the University’s and/or UKVI policy, or where deemed necessary based on the facts of an individual case.
• CAS deadlines are final and cannot be extended.
• CAS issue is subject to availability. The University has a finite allocation from the UKVI, so we recommend you complete all requirements as early as possible.

 

Activating your Aberystwyth University email account:
Shortly before the start date of your course, you will be sent details of how to activate your Aberystwyth University Email Account.  The initial email to activate this account will be sent to the email address you have supplied on your original study application.  It is very important that you have access to your personal email account so that you can access the activation link.  It is your responsibility to activate your Aberystwyth University Email Account when you are invited to do so and to check it regularly, as it will be used to send you a lot of important details about your course and your arrival in the UK.