Important: UK Student-visa eligibility and entry-clearance rules can vary by nationality and have changed in 2026. Confirm your specific eligibility on GOV.UK before you invest time or money in an application. Study UK Now checks your individual case.
- Application routes
- UCAS (undergraduate) or direct (postgraduate)
- Visa
- UK Student visa (Student Route)
- Typical total cost
- ≈ £30,000+ / year (tuition + living)
- Post-study
- Graduate Route (subject to eligibility)
Key takeaways
- Kenya is the largest source of UK-bound students from East Africa.
- The Student visa requires a CAS, financial evidence for the required period and approved English.
- Tuition plus living costs typically start from around £30,000 a year — higher in London.
- The Graduate Route allows eligible graduates to remain in the UK to work after completing their course.
The route from Kenya
From Kenya you apply through UCAS for undergraduate study or directly for most postgraduate courses. Once you have a firm offer and have met any conditions, your university issues a CAS. The Student visa application is completed online — you submit your CAS reference, a valid passport, financial evidence and an approved English-language test result. Kenya's education system is English-medium, which often reduces the English-test burden, but check your chosen university's specific requirements. Study UK Now's team reviews your full visa document pack and flags any gaps before submission.
Costs, scholarships and timeline
Budget for tuition plus living costs from roughly £30,000 a year. Commonwealth Scholarships, Chevening Scholarships and a wide range of university-specific awards are available to Kenyan students and are genuinely competitive — applying early and to multiple schemes significantly improves your chances. Study UK Now builds a master timeline for each student so that scholarship applications, university deadlines and visa submission all land in the right order and on time.
How Study UK Now helps with this
Get expert, end-to-end help — from university matching to your visa.
Frequently asked questions
How much bank balance is needed for a UK student visa from Kenya?
You must demonstrate funds covering your outstanding first-year tuition plus a set monthly living-cost allowance for a set number of months (a higher amount applies for London). These funds must be held continuously for a minimum period before you submit your visa application. The precise figures are set by UKVI and may change; always confirm the current thresholds on GOV.UK before preparing your financial evidence.
Which scholarships are available to Kenyan students studying in the UK?
Kenyan students are eligible for several competitive scholarships including Commonwealth Scholarships (funded by the UK government), Chevening Scholarships (for postgraduate study) and numerous university merit awards. Scholarship terms and availability change each year — check official programme websites and apply as early as possible, as deadlines typically fall several months before the academic year starts.
Sources — verified May 2026
Visa, fee and policy details change. Always confirm the latest on the official source before you rely on it.