THE University of East London (UEL) has unveiled a new range of competitive scholarships for overseas students.

From this month, undergraduates from countries outside the UK are eligible to apply for £1,000 scholarships and post-graduates could receive up to £2,000.

Over 4,000 people from outside the UK currently attend the UEL, which is around a fifth of the total student body.

Vikram Trehan, 18, who is originally from India and now lives in Stratford while he studies accounting and finance, said: "I really like UEL because the staff are very friendly and the campus is beautiful.

"This is my first time outside India, but I really feel comfortable and the activities laid on by the UEL for international students have really helped me to settle in."

Oxana Galayda, 23, who moved from Moscow to Stratford in 2004 to study for a masters degree, said: "Studying at UEL has been a very interesting and engaging experience, as well as a great opportunity to meet people from all over the world."

Professor Michael Thorne, UEL vice-chancellor, said: "We are now a global community, uniquely diverse and cosmopolitan, bringing together students and researchers from more than 110 countries.

"We are proud of our diverse and multi-cultural learning community, our excellent facilities, and our growing national and international reputation for teaching and research.

"The new international scholarship programme will enable us to attract some of the best students in the world."