Thank you for your time, commitment and energy in volunteering to support our new international students! As a Buddy Leader, you'll be an important point of contact for our new students, helping them settle into university life at York.
This page has been designed specifically for current students volunteering as Buddy Leaders. We hope you find these resources useful throughout your Buddy Leader experience and encourage you to refer back to them whenever needed.
If you have any questions or concerns, contact the International Communities Team at international-communities@york.ac.uk
As a Buddy Leader, you will support a small group of new students (your Buddies) as they prepare to travel to York and settle into university life during Semester 1.
You will:
Create a group chat with your Buddies before arrival
Check in with Buddies regularly throughout Semester 1
Attend the International Welcome Party on 20th September 2026
Arrange at least two catch-ups with your Buddies, either in-person or online
Encourage Buddies to attend International Community events and activities
Your role is to help new students feel welcomed, connected and informed, signposting them to the appropriate university services and resources when needed.
We’ve brought together a range of useful information and resources to help you support your Buddies. Whether it’s information about campus accommodation, travelling around York, or accessing academic support, you’ll find everything you need below.
Your group might sometimes ask questions that you can't answer, and it can sometimes be hard to find out where to get help. Below are some ways to help you determine which team to signpost your students to:
For things like enrolment, scholarships, CAS, Registration events, late arrivals, etc. please tell them to contact the International Admissions team via international@york.ac.uk
For course specific questions like using Check-In, timetable, filling in a self-certification for illness, collecting model kits for labs, orientation sessions etc. please tell them to contact their departmental administration team.
If their University Cards do not work on their department doors, most students can get help from the Information Centre. Any students from a lab-based course (Chemistry, Biology, Environment etc.) should email their departmental administration team as departments with labs usually manage their ID cards in the department.
Some international students might be asked to provide evidence about their studies for student finance from their home countries. Most of these will be available on e:vision via the 'request document' page but if they ask about something you are not sure about, please ask them to contact the student hub.
Please refer them to their department.
For questions about scholarships or how these are reflected on their CAS, tell them to contact international@york.ac.uk.
If their question is about short-term hardship or if they are a victim of a scam, please tell them to contact us via our self-referral form.
For any other questions about paying tuition fees, managing finances, or dealing with debt contact the student advice team.
For general information about working in the UK, this UKCISA webpage has some really helpful information. You can also tell the student to contact us via our self-referral form if they have any questions about working while on a student visa.
For questions about finding jobs, you can refer your students to the Careers team.
Our International Community events are a great way for students to meet others and feel part of the university community. We encourage you to attend events with your Buddies where possible and help them to feel confident getting involved.
The best way to get in touch with the International Student Support Team is by completing our self-referral form. The Team aims to respond to your query within 5 working days but please bear with us at busy periods of the year.