Student Support
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Student Support
Personal touch
As an undergraduate, you'll be assigned a personal tutor to support you academically alongside your studies
Help at the hubs
Our Student Support hubs in Docklands and Stratford, built at a cost of £3.1 million, feature centralised helpdesks to cater for your every need.
Supporting your studies
Former and current UEL students are available to mentor you academically and help you achieve your potential.
Improving your skills
If you need extra help with skills such as academic writing, maths or IT, we offer workshops, drop-in sessions and one-to-one appointments.
Open all hours
Our modern libraries in Docklands and Stratford campuses are open 24 hours a day during term time.
Your wellbeing matters
At UEL, we care about the wellbeing of our students. While you are studying here, you will have access to our dedicated Wellbeing Service team, while our Disability and Dyslexia Service provides support to disabled students and those with specific learning difficulties.
Supporting your learning
I graduated with a first-class honours degree at UEL and had a very good experience. I overcame a variety of challenges to achieve this grade. My current role allows me to help students to achieve the best they can, which is very fulfilling."
Messiah Odinma
BA/BSc (Hons) Sport & Exercise Science and Accounting
Mature students
As an inclusive university, we're proud to welcome students of all backgrounds and all ages. Mature students (over the age of 21) make up almost half of our undergraduate population. If you have life or work experience that is relevant to your course and can demonstrate your commitment to study, we can equip you to succeed.
If you have been away from education for some time, lack formal or current qualifications, or gained your qualifications overseas and are not sure of the UK equivalency, there are routes available to help you achieve your goal.
- New Beginnings: A 12-week part-time course for progression to many of our undergraduate programmes. New Beginnings will help you to use the skills you have gained from your work and life experiences to prepare for studying in higher education.
- Pre-entry courses and foundation years: Many of our degrees are also available with a short pre-entry course or 'foundation year'. These are designed to allow you to start an undergraduate degree if you don't quite meet the entry requirements. UEL is proud to be one of a limited number of institutions that offer this route into Higher Education.
Information Advice and Guidance (IAG)
To find out about the opportunities available to you, including entry requirements and study options, our IAG team are here to help.
Phone: +44 (0)20 8223 4354
I never thought that heading towards 40, I would be a student, let alone an athlete and a Paralympian. But it’s never too late to discover your passion. I didn’t have the chance to go to university when I was younger so I've grabbed this opportunity."
Vanessa Daobry
Paralympian
Flexible study
Earn and Learn
At UEL we have lots of options to help you to fit your learning around your life, work, or caring responsibilities.
- Part-time study is offered on many courses, enabling you to work while you learn. Courses take place in the evening or weekend, helping you to complete a qualification that will open doors to promotion or a career change. Both of our libraries are open 24/7 during term time, giving you maximum flexibility about when you choose to study.
- Our online and distance learning courses are perfect if you want to complete a degree from the comfort of your own home. You can also choose to complete some modules online and some in the classroom at our campuses in east London.
- Degree apprenticeship: If you're looking to begin an exciting new career or develop your skills with the support of your employer, we offer a growing range of degree apprenticeships.
To ensure our students get the best possible support, we've opened brand-new Student Support hubs at our Docklands and Stratford campuses. These contain centralised helpdesks as well as comfortable areas to relax and socialise. The helpdesks provide a 'one-stop-shop' for every possible need, from course-related enquiries to personal issues such as health and money matters. They're designed to be your first port of call if you have an enquiry or problem
Here’s just a flavour of the kind of help on offer:
- General information
- Support and guidance
- Student identity cards and replacements
- Student status letters
- Student discounts
- Oyster card applications
- UEL internet access and general IT issues.
- Residential services
- Money matters
- Course-related issues
Hub advisers can also arrange for more specialised support in areas such as international compliance, careers, health and wellbeing, disability and dyslexia support, chaplaincy, welfare, credit control and the library.
For more information about the Student Support hub call +44 (0)20 8223 4444 or login to My Portal, ensuring you have your login details (email and password) to hand.
At UEL, we believe that if you are happy and healthy, you will have the best chance of academic success, so we encourage all of our students to look after their wellbeing while they are here - and to ask for support when this might be helpful.
Student Wellbeing Team
We're here to support your health and wellbeing during your time at UEL. Our Student Wellbeing team can advise on a range of emotional and wellbeing issues, and make referrals to specialist services. Our advisers and counsellors will listen, understand and support you while you explore whatever issues are important to you.
Our services include:
- daily drop-in advice sessions at Docklands and Stratford campuses
- confidential counselling services, offering short-term support
- liaison with mental health professionals and external referral agencies
- an online mental health and wellbeing service.
Health Services
We link with the Royal Docks Medical Practice to ensure that our students have easy access to GP services. There may also be a need for specialist services to help you get the right support and minimise any impact on your studies. We have links with local NHS services to help students access assessment and specialist support when this is required.
Counselling and Psychological Therapies
We can offer short-term counselling and other psychological therapies. Counselling may involve reflecting on and exploring your feelings about your past experiences as well as the present ones. This will help you to increase your awareness of the situation and to identify and strengthen coping strategies. Other short-term therapies available include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
Come in to see us
If you're experiencing emotional or mental health issues, or anticipate that they may affect your studies, we encourage you to come and talk to us at the earliest opportunity so we can work with you to find the right solutions. We are here for you throughout your time at UEL!
You can contact us through the Student Support hubs at +44 (0)20 8223 4444 or log in to My Portal, ensuring you have your login details (email and
Our libraries and learning services are at the very heart of the University. We have a superb range of resources and facilities to help you with your studies and we're committed to offering you a first-class student experience.
There's never been a better time to start using our libraries. Our Stratford library is a state-of-the-art building which provides an inspirational environment for study and research.
Overlooking the Royal Docks, our modern Docklands library is another fantastic space for learning, offering a wide range of resources as well as group and silent study facilities.
Both our libraries are open 24/7 during term time, giving you maximum flexibility about when you choose to study. As well as visiting our libraries in person, you can also take advantage of our growing collection of electronic resources, including e-books, e-journals and databases.
Managing on a tight budget at university can be a stressful business. Our Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) are there to help.
They can offer you information and guidance on the government and university funds that are available to you and also help you keep control of your finances.
Based at our Student Support hubs at our Docklands and Stratford campuses, our SMART advisors offer tips on budgeting to help you stretch your student loan.
If you do find yourself in debt, they can advise you on how to sort out your financial situation and prioritise certain debts before they get out of hand.
As part of their service, the SMART team also run regular workshops on things such as student funding, student parents, trust funds and charities. You can contact them at the Student Support hubs at +44 (0)20 8223 4444 or log in to My Portal, ensuring you have your login details (email and
To boost your income during your time at UEL, we offer you the opportunity to 'earn while you learn' with some part-time work.
There's an on-campus recruitment agency at Docklands where you can sign up to be a student ambassador. You'll be paid according to the London Living Wage by working alongside staff at events within UEL such as Open Days and Offer Holder Days.
For the Student Support hub call +44 (0)20 8223 4444 or login to My Portal, ensuring you have your login details (email and
Our Disability and Dyslexia Service provides support and advice for disabled students and those with specific learning difficulties (SPDs), including dyslexia.
If you have a disability, long-term medical condition or specific learning difficulty, we can help to identify and address any barriers to your education so that you can access your course and reach your potential.
One-to-one appointments are available at both Docklands and Stratford campuses, and we're also available to chat on the phone.
You can book an appointment at the Student Support hubs either in person (at either our Docklands or Stratford campuses) or by phone at +44 (0)20 8223 4444.
You're also welcome to ring us if you're a prospective student seeking more information about the Disability and Dyslexia Service.
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Being a parent is no bar to studying with us. We've got fantastic nursery facilities at our Docklands campus, so your children will be cared for while you're attending lectures.
Our Children's Garden Early Years Centre on the Docklands Campus - rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted in 2011 - is a welcoming and safe environment for children from two to seven.
The centre offers full-day, morning or afternoon care for children, and is available for the children of students, staff and residents.
It features well-equipped classrooms and a large playground, set in an enclosed landscaped garden. Inside, the interior has a high level of natural light, with bespoke geometric furniture and colour-washed surfaces for different areas of activity.
You may be eligible for a childcare grant if you are a UK full-time student, and you need childcare during your studies. The grant is means-tested and could provide up to 85 per cent of your childcare costs. The maximum grant available is £155.24 per week for one child or £266.15 per week for two or more children and is non-repayable.
You may also be eligible to receive a Parents' Learning Allowance to help with additional costs you may incur during your study because you have children. This may be up to £1,573 per year. Again, the actual amount will depend on household income. For more information and details on how to apply, visit the government website.
We can help you with applications for childcare funding help via our helpdesks at the Hub.
To find out more visit our nursery page.
Visa and Immigration Advice
Our International Students Advice (ISA) service provides free, confidential advice, information and guidance on immigration-related matters to our prospective and current students as well as recent graduates, in line with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC).
ISA can assist you with a wide range of immigration-related matters, this includes:
Student visa eligibility
Student visa application process
Visa refusals and administrative reviews
Lost passports and Biometrics Residence Permits (BRPs)
Student visa error corrections
Working during and after studies on a student visa
Dependant and Standard Visitor visas
Visa implications due to change of circumstances (re-sits, change of course, withdrawals, break in studies, completing studies earlier than expected)
Travelling and Schengen visas
Student visa responsibilities
Post-study visa options
To find out more about being a student at UEL visit our international pages.
More information about the student visa and other UK visa requirements can be found on our Visa and immigration advice pages.
The UEL free bus service operates Monday to Friday throughout the year, except during the university Christmas closure, and bank holidays, from 8am to 6pm between the Docklands, Stratford, and University Square campuses, with the first bus leaving the Docklands Campus at 8am.
The help I got was amazing. I don't think I'd have finished the course if it wasn't for the support from UEL.
I have severe asthma, so climbing the stairs was a big issue as it could instigate an attack. But Stratford offers access to all areas, and there are lots of lifts. I got help to get to lectures from the disability support team. I was in and out of hospital a lot during my course but I didn’t want to miss any exams. UEL was really supportive and made sure I had extra time for each test."
Nasra Al-Hubeshy
BA (Hons) Education Studies