FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

Question: What’s the new admission procedure for academic studies at Mesoyios College?

Answer:

For Non-EU students

The admission is divided into three steps:

Step 1: Student applies for admission to an academic program by submitting a) the Application Forms, b) copy of passport, c) copy of Higher Secondary School Certificate (Marks Sheet) and d) copy of English Language Certificate if available (e.g., IELTS or PASSWORD or equivalent). Once these documents are received, the Academic Committee evaluates them and grants either an Unconditional Acceptance Letter or a Conditional Acceptance Letter. IN order to proceed with registration, student should fulfil the required conditions to have the acceptance letter change from Conditional to Unconditional. Conditions might be to submit the English Language Certificate (in case of missing) and prepayment of the first academic year’s tuition fees.

Step 2: Once the Unconditional Acceptance Letter is granted, student should prepare and attest the following documents, which are required to apply to Migration Department in Cyprus for Entry Permit (student visa):

Required documents:

  1. Duly certified copy of passport or other travel document, with a validity of:
  2. i) at least the expected duration of studies
  3. ii) at least two years

The shortest period of validity of any of the above mentioned

  1. In cases of minors, duly certified parental approval of the suggested residence, with official translation in Greek or English.
  2. Duly certified original police clearance certificate (valid for 6 months) from the official authorities of the country of residence with official translation in Greek or English.
  3. Duly certified original medical examinations for: 1) HBV or HBsAg or HBS; 2) HCV or AntiHCV; 3) AIDS – HIV; 4) VDRL or RPR and 5) X-rays or TPHA or Tuberculosis (valid for 4 months) from country of origin with validity of four months.
  4. Duly certified copy of secondary school and higher secondary school certificates including mark sheet.
  5. Duly certified copy of certificate of success in examinations IELTS or other equivalent English Language Certificate (i.e., IGCSE, TOEFL, Password Test etc.), to certify the ability of the candidate students to study academic level courses in English language.
  6. Duly certified original confirmation letter from a Banking Institution in his country of residence and bank statements with the ending balance of at least €7000 (valid for 6 months).
  7. Receipt of payment of registration fees to the Educational Institution. Arrange for the bank transfer of the amount showing on acceptance letter to the College account on student’s name (and passport number).
  8. Students’ declaration and responsibility form (only for Indian students).
  9. Declaration for asylum letter.

Once all required attested documents are sent to Mesoyios College, our Office of Student Affairs prepares and submits the M58 Application for Entry Permit (student visa).

Step 3: Once the Entry Permit is received, our Office of Student Affairs sends a copy to the student, who should book his/her flight ticket to Cyprus. After arrival student will be taken to local Migration Department for registration and student ID card.

For EU students

The admission is divided into two steps:

Step 1: Student applies for admission to an academic program by submitting a) the Application Forms, b) copy of passport, c) copy of Higher Secondary School Certificate (Marks Sheet) and d) copy of English Language Certificate if available (e.g. IELTS or PASSWORD or equivalent). Once these documents are received, the Academic Committee evaluates them and grants either an Unconditional Acceptance Letter or a Conditional Acceptance Letter. To proceed with registration, student should fulfil the required conditions to have the acceptance letter change from Conditional to Unconditional. Conditions might be to submit the English Language Certificate (in case of missing) and prepayment of the first academic year’s tuition fees.

Step 2: Once the Unconditional Acceptance Letter is granted, student should start preparing his/her flight ticket to Cyprus.

Question: Why should I prepay my tuition fees for the first academic year?

Answer:

The Cyprus Legislation requires from all Non-Cypriot students to pay their tuition fees for the first academic year through swift transfer to the college’s bank account, prior to submitting the application for Entry Permit. The Migration Department does not receive the M58 Application for Entry Permit unless it is accompanied by the swift transfer clearance receipt received by the college’s banker.

Question: What is the “Study & Work Scholarship”? Am I entitled to this scholarship?

Answer:

Mesoyios College is collaborated with the most luxury hotels in Cyprus, which are offering a limited number of Study & Work Scholarships (S&WS) every academic intake (Spring Semester and Fall Semester).

S&WS include the following:

  • Practice/internship: NOV-MAY: 5 days per week / JUN-OCT: 6 days per week
  • Full coverage of tuition fees (€6,000 per academic year, paid by the employer in monthly instalments)
  • 2-Sharing accommodation (2 in a bedroom)
  • Two meals per day (during practice/work hours)
  • Monthly pocket money €318.60 (plus tips), paid at the end of each month
  • 13th Salary €1,068 net for every 12 months of practice
  • One-month Annual Leave for every 12 months of practice, with pocket money fully paid
  • Medical & Pharmaceutical Insurance (National Health System)
  • A 4-year work permit upon graduation (terms & conditions involved)

 European students are eligible for these scholarships as from their first year of study.

All non-EU students are eligible to S&WS as from the 7th month after arriving to Cyprus as the Cyprus Law forbids non-EU students to work during their first 6 months of study.

Question: What type of accommodation is offered by the employers under the “Study & Work Scholarship”?

Answer:

Employers provide a 2- or 3-sharing accommodation (according to the size of the apartment), with maximum 2 students in a bedroom. They are very descent, clean, peaceful and convenient apartments. Employers are always in seek of new apartments, according to the number of students they offer S&WS.

Question: Since I am from non-EU country and I am eligible for S&WS after the 7th month from arriving to Cyprus, where can I stay during the first 6 months?

Answer:

Mesoyios College has entered into an agreement with a blog of hotel apartments, providing 2- to 3-sharing accommodation to students from non-EU countries for their first six months of study. The monthly rental cost varies from €250 up to €325, according to how many students will share one apartment. This monthly rental fee includes cleaning services provided by the landlord.

On the ground floor of these apartments there is also a snack restaurant, where students can have (if they wish) snacks/meals in special discounted prices.

Question: How many hours per week should I practice/work at the employer offering my S&WS?

Answer:

The practice according to the academic regulations should be 1,928 hours per year for all years of study. These hours are allocated/controlled by the employer in conjunction with the academic classes at Mesoyios College. The academic classes of 15 hours per week are compressed into 3 days per week (3 days X 5 hours). Usually, two out of the three class-days are given by the employer as DAYS OFF and for the third day the practice hours are adjusted in a way to facilitate student’s participation in the classes. Furthermore, the one month paid ALL is given to students during the academic (winter) months, to enable students more free time for their studies. Also, please keep in mind that classes are closed 16 days for Xmas and 16 days for Easter holidays every year, plus during 14 public/national holidays per year.

Question: What if I get sick during my practice/work?

Answer:

You are entitled to 20 sick leave days per year paid by the Social Insurances Department of Cyprus, because the employer pays all relative taxes (part of the benefits granted by the employer within the S&WS).

Question: What guarantees can I get that I will be offered a work permit by an employer in Cyprus to start my career as a Full-Time employee?

Answer:

All hoteliers in Cyprus are always in great need of new Full-Time staff and they are eligible to employ people from 3rd countries up to 30% of the total number of their employees. All of them prefer to grant these work permits to Mesoyios College graduates, because they are the only hospitality graduates among all universities in Cyprus who by graduation have already in their CVs 4 years of institutional and industry experience (at Mesoyios College simulation labs and in luxury hotels). The most common practice is that students get work permits from the same employers, where they have their practice/internship, provided of course that students have shown their professional attitude, behavior and loyalty to their employer during their practice/internship.

Question: What if, for any reason, I quit my practice at the employer offering the S&WS?

Answer:

Nobody can force an employee to stay tied to the employer offering the S&WS. However, once a student terminates his/her S&WS he/she is fully responsible for finding another hotel (which should be approved by Mesoyios College) to continue his/her practice/internship according to the academic regulations, for his/her personal life in Cyprus, as well as for the payment of the remaining academic tuition fees balance at the time of S&WS termination. In the case of S&WS termination, student should inform Mesoyios College Council in writing the reasons which led him/her to terminate his/her S&WS Agreement. The Council will also get advice from the employer and decide accordingly. If the termination reasons concern unprofessional attitude, behavior, health, safety and other misbehavior reasons, student may be sent to Disciplinary Committee to decide about the future of the student’s studies at Mesoyios College. If the termination has nothing to do with any of the above, Mesoyios College will support the student to find another employer for his/her practice/internship to continue his/her studies until graduation.

Question: What if I decide to get one of the special study pathways to one of the collaborated Swiss universities? When should I submit my interest/intention and what will be the procedure?

Answer:

Few weeks after the beginning of your studies, a regional manager from Sommet Education Group (Les Roches and Glion) or Swiss Education Group (Swiss Hotel Management School) will visit Mesoyios College to give to all interested students all information concerning the special study pathways and will support the students throughout their studies at Mesoyios College until they move to one of our collaborated universities.

Question: Do I need a uniform to study at Mesoyios College?

Answer:

Although we don’t call it “uniform”, Mesoyios College students MUST attend their on-campus classes in navy-blue business suits, white shirt and dark red tie (for men) or scarf (for women), black business shoes and black socks (for men). With this “uniform” policy our goal is to inspire our students right from the beginning of their studies to learn presenting themselves like managers, thinking like managers, feeling like managers, and acting/behaving like managers. Furthermore, this is important for the image of Mesoyios College (and consequently the image of our students) and that is why hoteliers in Cyprus are interested in employing our students. Also, we have very often VIP visitors (hoteliers and hotel associations from Cyprus and abroad) interested in our students who are impressed by the quality of Mesoyios College and its students. Students should make sure to purchase at least one “uniform” as described above and attend their first class as per policy and academic regulations.

Question: How is the student life at Mesoyios College and Limassol, Cyprus?

Answer:

The Office of Student Affairs, as well as each member of the staff and faculty team of Mesoyios College, is strictly committed to the objectives of the College for excellent, constant and effective support of our students in all areas, including: Health, Safety and Welfare, information and advice in relation to the life in the college and outside, humanitarian issues, assistance in terms of study habits, time management, education stress management, communication, problem solving, adapting to the conditions of college life, personal assistance to students with special learning needs.

Student Life & Activities:

At Mesoyios College fascinating student clubs and sports teams are operated, such as in art, film, and other educational activities/events are organized (i.e., wine tasting, excursions to the mountains for skin, visits to archaeological sites, cultural exchange events) contributing to an integrated framework of culture and development. The department of student affairs surrounds every need of the students from their accommodation to professional guidance. Mesoyios College being situated at the heart of the old city of Limassol, provides easy access to all popular student clubs, restaurants, shopping streets as well.

Question: What are the prerequisites for academic admission at Mesoyios College?

Answer:

Please indicate your interest by filling the application form on your preferred program of study and send the documents below to admissions@mesoyios.ac.cy:

  1. Passport which should be valid for at least 2 years from the Migration Application date.
  2. Higher Secondary School Graduation Certificate with minimum GPA 50/100.
  3. IELTS (min. 5.0 for Bachelor programs or min. 5.0 for Higher Diploma/Higher Diploma) or equivalent English Language certificate.

These documents are evaluated by the Academic Committee that will issue an unconditional or a conditional acceptance letter if you have not yet obtained an English Language certificate for instance. As there are deadlines to be followed, please ensure these documents are sent on time to proceed with attestation and have a complete application with all required documents indicated in new Admissions procedure question.

Question: What will my studies cost at Mesoyios College (i.e., x 4 years bachelor’s degree)?

Answer:

By the end of your graduation, not only you will not have any study cost but you will have money savings for pocket money and other personal expenses, as following:

For standard studies:

Total academic tuition fees: -€24,800

Paid practice/internship (obligatory): +€55,000± (including salaries X 3.5 years plus tips)

Sharing accommodation (without S&WS): -€16,800±

Savings (for pocket money & other personal expenses) +€15,800±

Under “Study & Work Scholarship – S&WS” (as from 7th month):

Academic tuition fees for first year: -€6,800±

Accommodation for the first 6 months: -€1,500±

Job placement for months 7th – 12th of first year: +€6,400±

S&WS as from 2nd year:

  • All academic tuition fees paid by the employer – N/A
  • 2-sharing accommodation offered by the employer – N/A
  • At least two meals per day offered by the employer – N/A
  • €318.60 monthly pocket money X 36 months: +11,469.60
  • Minimum €150 monthly tips X 36 months: +5,400±

Savings (for pocket money & other personal expenses) +€14,969.60±

Note: For both cases above, upon graduation students will be offered a 4-year work permit in Cyprus in supervisory/middle management positions, with monthly salaries starting from €1,600 plus 13th salary, 1 month paid annual leave per year, plus many other benefits.

Government sources for additional Cyprus visa information

International Support Team at Mesoyios College

Telephone: +357 25 24 64 01
Email: info@mesoyios.ac.cy

If you are a current student and wish to talk to an advisor about visa and support, you can:

Drop-in at the students’ information centre. No appointment necessary, just drop by and you will be seen in turn. We are open from Monday to Friday  from 08:00 to 17:00 hrs.

Appointments are available for more complex issues and can be booked in person via the students’ information centre.

Structure

The International Support Office operates within the following structure:

The international recruitment office (Marketing and Communications Service) attends exhibitions, give seminars overseas in an active role to recruit international students, and help and advise you through your application process. They also develop and maintain collaborative agreements with appropriate educational institutions.

The international support office (Learning and Information Service) provides support to you throughout your stay at the College.

The international exchange office (Marketing and Communications Service) facilitates staff and student inter-university exchanges and maintains relationships with exchange partner institutions.

The international projects office prepares and monitors projects implemented by Mesoyios College.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]