Applying to UK universities from the United States
What they ask of an American student, what they will pay you, and how your federal loan works abroad.
On the cover: the Statue of Liberty, New York. American students can use US federal student loans at more than 140 UK universities. Photo: aussieactive / Unsplash.
The Bottom Line
American families often assume a UK degree means giving up US financial aid. For most, it doesn't. Your federal student loan can be used at more than 140 UK universities, and 108 of the 145 universities we researched publish exactly what they ask of an American applicant.
What they ask is different from what a US college asks. A UK university rarely looks at your whole application in the round. It looks for specific results — AP scores, the SAT or ACT, or a GPA — and the most selective ask for four or five APs at the top score. Scholarships aimed at Americans exist but are few, and most must be applied for.
What you absolutely need to know:
- Your US federal student loan can be used at more than 140 UK universities
- A high school diploma alone rarely decides it — UK universities look for AP scores, the SAT or ACT, or a GPA
- The most selective universities ask for four or five APs at 5
- Most American students won't need an English test — but a few universities still ask
- Nineteen scholarships at fourteen universities are open to American students, and most must be applied for
- If your child is taking the IB, each course sets its own points score
1. Your US federal student loan can be used at more than 140 UK universities
The US Department of Education's own list of international schools taking part in the federal student loan programs names more than 140 UK institutions. At those marked Eligible, a US citizen can take out Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, and parents can take out PLUS Loans, exactly as for a US college. Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Edinburgh and Queen's University Belfast all confirm this on their own US loans pages.
Two things don't travel. Pell Grants and other federal grant aid can't be used at a foreign university — only the loans can. And bank lending is thin: of the 11 US banks and lenders we checked, only 2 publish terms confirming they can fund a UK degree.
Beyond the banks, there are four more routes. Earnest lends for a bachelor's degree at any school that takes part in US federal student aid, which includes the UK universities on the Department of Education's list. Juno lends for degrees at a list of popular international universities. And two state agencies lend for study abroad: New Jersey's NJCLASS for New Jersey residents, and Vermont's VSAC for students at eligible schools anywhere, with a cosigner. Each lends up to the cost of attendance, less other aid.
| Country | Lenders |
|---|---|
| India | 16 |
| Nepal | 9 |
| Sri Lanka | 9 |
| China | 6 |
| Malaysia | 5 |
| Canada | 3 |
| Nigeria | 3 |
| United States | 2 |
| Japan | 1 |
Banks and lenders from our first research pass; the routes beyond the banks are described above. Source: Telariq data.
What this means for you: for most American families, the federal loan is the main route, and it works at most of the universities you are likely to consider. Check that each university on your list is marked Eligible.
2. A high school diploma alone rarely decides it
108 of the 145 universities we researched publish a requirement for American applicants. Where they spell out what they want, it is rarely the diploma alone: they ask for a set of AP results, an SAT or ACT score, a GPA, or a combination. A few accept an associate degree or a year of college instead.
Because the requirement is written in terms of tests rather than a named qualification, the diploma itself often isn't mentioned at all. What matters is the results that sit alongside it.
What this means for you: plan AP subjects and test dates around the UK universities on your list, not only around US colleges. A UK offer is usually built on specific results.
3. The most selective universities ask for four or five APs at 5
| University | Published requirement |
|---|---|
| University of Cambridge | Five or more AP tests at 5, or an SAT score of 1470 or above |
| UCL | Five AP subjects at 5,5,5,5,5 — or four at 5 plus an SAT score of 1440 |
| University of Oxford | High school diploma plus SAT and AP results meeting specific criteria |
| Anglia Ruskin University | High school diploma at grade B or a GPA of 3.0, plus an SAT or equivalent |
Each university's published requirement for American applicants. Individual courses may ask for more. Source: Telariq data.
The gap between the top and the rest is wide. A student with a strong diploma and a solid GPA meets the requirement at many UK universities; the same student would need a full set of top AP scores for Cambridge or UCL.
What this means for you: check which of your AP subjects each course counts. UK universities often want APs in subjects related to the degree, not just a high score in any five.
4. Most American students won't need an English test — but a few universities still ask
The Home Office treats the United States as a majority English-speaking country, so an American national doesn't need to prove their English for the student visa.
Universities set their own rule, though, and not all follow the Home Office. Regent's University London, for example, asks every applicant for proof of English on the CEFR scale regardless of nationality.
What this means for you: check each university's English requirement for American nationals before assuming it's waived.
5. Nineteen scholarships at fourteen universities are open to American students
We found 19 scholarships at 14 universities open to American students — some only to Americans, others to a group of countries that includes the United States. Where a value is published, the typical award is £5,000, ranging from about £1,100 to £25,000. Twelve of the nineteen must be applied for — fewer are automatic than for many other countries.
| University | Value | How you get it |
|---|---|---|
| The University of Manchester | £21,000 across the course | Apply |
| University of St Andrews | £10,000 a year | Apply |
| University of Stirling | £5,000 a year | Automatic |
Three of the 19. The full list — every award, its value, whether it renews each year and how to get it — is in the Telariq app. Source: Telariq data.
What this means for you: the larger awards need an application and have their own deadlines, often well before the UCAS one. Build them into your timeline early.
6. If your child is taking the IB, each course sets its own points score
Many American international schools teach the International Baccalaureate Diploma. UK universities treat the IB the same wherever it is taken, so an IB student's requirement is not on the university's US page. It is a points score out of 45, often with a minimum in three Higher Level subjects, set course by course.
King's College London, for example, publishes a ladder from 40 points for its highest offer down to 29 for its lowest. The University of Birmingham asks for 32 points for most of its courses.
What this means for you: look for the IB points each course asks for, usually on the course page.
Our advice
Confirm federal loan eligibility first. Check that each university on your list is marked Eligible on the Department of Education's international schools list.
Plan AP subjects around your UK courses. The most selective universities want top scores in subjects related to the degree.
Don't assume the English test is waived. Check each university's rule for American nationals.
Apply early for the larger scholarships. Most American awards need a separate application.
Confirm entry requirements, scholarships and loan terms with each university before you apply.
The not so fine print: what was excluded in this report
- Course-level entry requirements — these are each university's general requirement for American applicants, and a course may ask for more
- The names of individual private lenders, which sit in Telariq's records
- Interest rates and the cost of borrowing
- State-level grants and 529 plans, which follow their own rules
- Medicine, dentistry and veterinary sciences, which are outside Telariq's coverage
A note on this guide. This is what we found when we read each provider's own pages. Its purpose is to show you that options exist and where to start looking. There will be routes we haven't found yet, and some here may have changed since we checked — so treat it as a starting point, not a complete list, and confirm everything with the provider before you rely on it.
Have a question? We'd love to hear from you — admin@telariq.com