This study aims to find out what Muslim students actually think about the issues that affect them and how their views compare with those of other students. It is a chance for students to make their voices heard. The study aims to give an objective and representative picture of students' experiences.

The study is being carried out for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Government department with responsibility for universities in England. This study of Muslim Students will inform their work in building, recognising and promoting equality and diversity on Higher Education campuses, and ensuring that student communities are cohesive and tolerant places

The study is in partnership with the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) and the National Union of Students (NUS) and will help them to represent students. For more information see www.fosis.org.uk and www.nus.org.uk.

This is an important part of the study. A survey of students from all backgrounds "Building Tolerant Student Communities" is being carried out at the same time as the Muslim Student Survey in the same universities. Students selected for this survey will be contacted separately.

Muslim Student Survey
We asked participating universities to contact a number of UK students in different ethnic groups and overseas students from different countries. This approach will help to ensure that the students who take part in the study reflect the different backgrounds of Muslim students at universities in England.

Most universities do not have information about the religious background of their students. This means that some of the students who are contacted about the study will not be Muslim. If you received a letter about the survey of Muslim students and you are not Muslim, you do not need to do anything.

If you are Muslim (whether or not you are currently practicing), we hope that you will be able to take part in the study. It is important that as many Muslim students who are selected as possible take part in the study so that the findings are representative of all Muslim students.

Building Tolerant Student Communities
A number of students from all backgrounds at participating universities have been invited to take part in this study. If you have received a letter about this study we hope you will take part so that the findings reflect the different views and experiences of the student population.

For the Muslim Student Survey: please go to www.natcen-surveys.co.uk/mss.
You will need the login number and password at the top of the letter you were sent to access the survey which is held on a secure website.

For the Building Tolerant Student Communities Survey: please go to www.natcen-surveys.co.uk/student. You will need the login number and password at the top of the letter you were sent to access the survey which is held on a secure website.

Yes. You will not be asked to give your name if you take part in the survey. NatCen do not know the identities of the students who have been invited to take part. NatCen has provided each university taking part with sealed letters to address and send out to students. The university selected a number of students to send the letters to but they do not know the unique login details contained within each letter. Therefore your login details and your name are not linked anywhere, so no one who takes part will be identifiable.

The survey is on a secure website and your answers can only be accessed by NatCen. No individual survey answers will be passed outside NatCen, only statistical summaries of the data.

The survey covers a range of topics, including: experience of university life, finances, future aspirations, mixing on campus, religion, experience of discrimination, views on government policies, views on extremism and political issues.

Yes, a summary of the results of the study will be made available on this website towards the end of this year.