Get in Touch
Contact Us
hello@ukstudyoptions.com
+44 (0)208 1871865
The Mill Pury Hill Business Park, Alderton Road,
Towcester, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom, NN12 7LS
Tag Archive for: expat
UK University Fee Status Rules
If you are going to a UK university, your fee status, i.e. whether you are charged home fees or overseas fees, is determined by a set of rules.
The rules are set by the government, but they are published online by a charity called UKCISA who support students in understanding their fee status eligibility. Anyone can access and read the rules online.
These rules differ in each of the four UK nations. The rules that apply to you are based on where the university you are applying to is located. For example, if you are applying to Scottish universities, you need to understand the Scottish fee status rules. If you are applying to English universities, you need to understand the English fee status rules and so on. If you are applying to universities in different parts of the UK you must apply all the relevant rules.
Here’s where to find them:
Northern Irish fee status rules
The rules are largely derived from case law of previous immigration or student finance court cases. This is often where certain terms and definitions within the rules are defined so you may also want to read this information also.
We understand that these rules can be confusing and it’s not always clear how your fee status would be determined.
UKCISA, who train us at UKSO and university staff on how to apply the fee status rules, offer free advice to students on their fee status and can be contacted here.
The UK Study Options team has extensive training and experience of fee status issues that specifically affect expat students. If you would like some feedback on your fee status case, complete our online form and we’ll get back to you.
PLEASE NOTE: The guidance on fee status rules is regularly updated and the link to the latest guidance may change. The above links are the latest guidance at the time of writing, May 2022.
UK University Fee Status – A Guide for Expats (Part 2)
Baffled by UK university fee status and not sure how it applies to you? Get to grips with the basics with our two-part blog on fee status.
This blog post answers the question:
- Who is eligible for Home fees?
See our blog UK University Fee Status – A Guide for Expats (Part 1), to answer the questions:
- What is a fee status assessment?
- What are the different fee statuses?
- What are the tuition fee and funding options for the different fee statuses?
Who is eligible for Home fees?
Being a British citizen or holding a British passport is not enough to qualify you for Home fee status. Nor does owning property in the UK or having lived there previously. If you have left the UK and now live abroad or have recently returned to the UK after a period away, you may have lost your eligibility. Too many people take it for granted that when they return to the UK, they will automatically get Home fees but the reality is, it’s very easy to lose your Home status. Therefore, you have to pay much higher Overseas tuition fees for your UK university degree.
If you want to fully understand the rules and regulations around fee status, then we recommend that you visit UKCISA. UKCISA publish them in full detail. They are quite dense and complicated, so here we give you a brief overview.
Firstly, to be eligible for Home fees, you must meet the necessary immigration criteria by having ONE of the following statuses (this is a bare minimum of what is required):
- A British citizen,
- Indefinite Leave to Enter/Remain in the UK,
- A Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode in the UK,
- Right of permanent Residence in the UK,
- Republic of Ireland citizen.
Ordinary Residence
Secondly, you need to demonstrate that you have been ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK for at least three years prior to starting university. This means having a “regular and habitual mode of life in a particular place, the continuity of which has persisted despite temporary absence” (UKCISA). For example, maintaining strong connections that demonstrate that the UK country is your permanent home country even if you don’t currently live there. This can be demonstrated through a number of ways including, having a UK home and regularly visiting the UK, among others.
Thirdly, if it’s not clear whether someone has ordinary residence in the UK, then universities will look to see that any absence from the UK is of a temporary nature and that it is your (or your family’s) intention to return to the UK at some point. For this, universities will look at the parents’ current and previous employment, property ownership, rental agreements etc. There is no concrete rule about how long ‘temporary’ is. Universities will take a different stance on this some will have a strict cut off period and others will be flexible based on the student’s circumstances.
Generally, if a student fulfils the criteria for ordinary residence and temporary absence and is able to provide solid evidence for this. Then they will be perceived as Home. Although there are always anomalies due to the interpretable nature of fee status assessment. Completing university applications and forms correctly and presenting the right evidence is vital for a successful outcome. Whether you have Home fee eligibility is dependent on your specific background and living and working circumstances. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that if your friend got home status, so will you. Every family’s circumstances are unique and fee status assessments are made on individual, case-by-case bases.
UKSO are the leading experts in UK University Fee Status. We have been advising schools, families and students around the world on this complex topic for 11 years. We have helped over 1,000 expat families with their fee status queries. Get in touch for a personalised Fee Status Appraisal.
UK University Fee Status – A Guide for Expats (Part 1)
Baffled by UK university fee status and not sure how it applies to you? Get to grips with the basics with our two-part blog on fee status.
This blog post answers the questions:
- What is a fee status assessment?
- What are the different fee statuses?
- What are the tuition fee and funding options for the different fee statuses?
See our blog UK University Fee Status – A Guide for Expats (Part 2), to answer the question:
- Who is eligible for Home fees?
What is a fee status assessment?
The fee status assessment is part of the Admissions process of all UK universities which aims to establish what fees a student should pay based on where the student is from. They need to make this distinction because they receive funding (tax-payer money) for Home students but not for Overseas students and therefore, Overseas students will pay more for their degree than Home students. The process of assessing a student’s fee status is to determine if they are eligible for that funding or not.
In order to do this, universities apply a set of rules and regulations published by UKCISA to a range of different student backgrounds and circumstances. UKCISA do not write the rules, they simply publish them to help universities understand the relevant government legislation which can be quite complicated.
For the most part, this assessment is quite straight forward but for some ‘borderline’ students it may be harder to assign a fee status. Such students might be British citizens living overseas (expats), refugees, asylum seekers or leave to remainers, for example. Here universities use their discretion and interpretation of the rules to determine fee status.
In these instances, universities may automatically assign an Overseas status and leave it to the student to contest it or they may require students to submit further information to assist with the assessment of their fee status. Because each university is using their discretion in these instances (and therefore, applying a slightly different policy), it’s often the case that a student will receive some Home offers and some Overseas.
What are the different fee statuses?
There are two factors that determine the different fee statuses; firstly, where in the UK (i.e. which UK country) is the university that the student is applying to. Secondly, where is the student themselves from.
Fee statuses differ depending on whether the university is in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. At the moment, they are categorised in the following way, however, once Brexit takes effect, the EU fee status is likely to change but as of yet, we are not sure how. Universities have fixed their fees until 2020 for EU students.
Universities in England and Wales have two fee statuses; Home (which applies to students from all UK countries and the Common Travel Area) and Overseas.
In Scotland, Universities have three fee statuses; Home (which applies to Scottish students), Rest of UK (which applies to students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and Overseas.
In Northern Ireland, Universities also have three fee statuses: Home (which applies to Northern Irish students), GB (which applies to students from England, Scotland and Wales) and Overseas.
All UK countries follow the same government legislation but may differ slightly in their assessment criteria and processes.
What are the tuition fees and funding options for the different fee statuses?
Tuition fees differ depending on where in the UK the student is applying to university. For universities in England, Home fees are currently set at £9,250 per year for any course. In Wales, they may be a little lower at £9,000 per year. Overseas fees range from £14,950 to £58,600 per year depending on the course and university.[1] Generally speaking, the more competitive the course or university, the higher the Overseas fees.
For universities in Scotland, Home students currently pay £1,820 per year for any course. These Home places are capped so they can be very difficult to obtain by people with borderline eligibility. RUK students pay £9,250 per year for any course. Overseas fees range from £14,600 to £49,900.[2] Scottish undergraduate degrees are usually 4 years (at other UK universities they are typically 3 years depending on the course) – it’s important to factor this in when budgeting for university.
For universities in Northern Ireland, Home students pay £4,275 per year for any course. Students from England, Wales and Scotland pay £9,250 per year for any course. Overseas students can expect to pay between £16,000 and £38,000. [3]
In any of the four countries, most students who are eligible for Home fees are also eligible for a student loan (and sometimes a grant) to cover or part-cover their tuition and maintenance costs. Depending upon where the student lives, applications for student loans have to be made via the relevant student loans company such as Student Finance England http://www.sfengland.slc.co.uk, Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) www.saas.gov.uk, Student Finance Wales www.studentfinancewales.co.uk or Student Finance Northern Ireland www.studentfinanceni.co.uk. Student loan companies will make their own fee assessment of each student who applies for a loan, they do not always concur with the fee status concluded by the university. It is not uncommon for a university to categorise a student as Home but the student loans company to categorise them as Overseas and therefore, reject their application for a loan.
Overseas students may have to pay additional fees, such as college fees at Oxford or Cambridge, that can be around £10,000 per year on top of tuition fees. Maintenance (or living) costs for all students are around £10,000+ per year of study.
Overseas students cannot apply for student loans to cover their tuition or maintenance costs, so their funding options are very limited. They also may be required to pay more of their tuition fees upfront and/or pay an interest fee if they wish to pay in instalments.
An additional factor to consider is that some courses, such as Medicine, cap the number of places available to Overseas students and therefore, the competition to get in is much higher. Some Medical degrees have as few as 4 places for Overseas students but will still receive hundreds of exceptional applications.
[1] Reddin Survey of University Tuition Fees 2020-21
[2] Reddin Survey of University Tuition Fees 2020-21
[3] Queen’s University Belfast 2020
Getting the Fee Status Questionnaire Right – Dos and Don’ts
If you are a borderline case for Home fees when applying to UK university, you may receive a Fee Status Questionnaire (FSQ) from one or more of the universities you are applying to. Borderline cases will be anyone who has lived outside the UK/EU for any period of time during your life. The FSQ form aims to get more information about you and your family’s background on which the university can make their final decision on your fee status. They will also ask for corresponding evidence to match what you write on the form.
Each university produces their own form and may ask for different information. Some will ask for information and evidence for the three years prior to the start of university (the most important years for establishing Ordinary Residence), others may ask for the last five years or even as far back as the birth of the student. So be prepared to explain your circumstances over a decade or more and dig out the evidence ahead of time so you’re not searching for it when you’re up against a tight deadline!
Most FSQs will ask for the following information:
- Your immigration status.
- Your residential history – and an explanation for any time lived outside the UK.
- Details of visits to the UK when living outside of the UK/EU.
Dos for completing this form:
- Explain your background fully yet succinctly – preferably use bullets points rather than paragraphs so it can be quickly read and understood.
- Only include information/evidence that the university has asked for or that you think is very relevant.
- Keep details/evidence in chronological order.
- Be explicit – spell out strong evidence so they don’t miss it and explain any gaps or missing evidence.
Clearly label corresponding evidence so it’s easy to find. - Get someone to sense check the form before you submit it to make sure it’s clear and logical.
- Be aware of the deadline to return the form by.
- Be transparent and honest.
Don’ts for completing this form:
- Don’t lie on the form – if it unravels, you’ll jeopardise your university offer, not just your fee status.
- Don’t waffle or write in long paragraphs which are hard to follow and time-consuming to unpick.
- Don’t send masses of documents that have not been asked for or that are not absolutely relevant. There should be an opportunity to send further evidence later on, if necessary. If you’re not sure what is needed, give a list of available evidence on request/if required or call up the university and clarify what they need.
- Don’t expect universities to work stuff out, hunt for information or fill in the gaps themselves. The onus is on you to explain your circumstances clearly.
UK Study Options are leading experts on UK university fee status and we have helped over 1,000 families with their fee status queries. We offer personalised support pre and post application. Get in touch for a Fee Status Appraisal or see our other blogs on Fee Status.
Home tuition fees for expatriate Medical/Veterinary students
UKStudyoptions.com offers a Fee Status Appraisal specifically for expatriate families based overseas to prepare students and their families BEFORE they apply via UCAS. By completing a brief Fee Status Form we can assess the strengths and weaknesses of your case and offer you tips and advice to maximise your eligibility for Home/EU fees.
- International student fees for medicine and veterinary reaches £300,000 (five years)
- Home/EU fees in England totalling £45,000 (five years)
- Scottish/EU students pay just £9,100 (five years) RUK pay £45,000
Many expats don’t realise that they are at risk of losing their eligibility because they have been based overseas on a succession of ongoing ‘temporary’ contracts. The rules and regulations governing Fee Status decisions are for guidance only and they are open to interpretation. It is therefore incumbent on each institution to decide on acceptable criteria and the basis on which they decide whether a student should be categorised as a Home or Overseas fee payer.
In addition, although the rules and regulations governing Home/EU fees versus overseas have not changed, there is a new immigration law in England that has recently come into being. This will, in due course, impact upon the length of time a student is able to be temporarily out of the UK without losing their rights for Home/EU fees and a student loan. This new law currently states that a student should be in the UK half their life or seven years, whichever is the greater. This law is currently being adopted in England and is expected to be rolled out to other UK countries.
Many expat families are confident in obtaining Home/EU fees without realising that they are at risk of losing their eligibility quite easily by not being proactive in maintaining their ‘ordinary residence’ in the UK by returning to their ‘home’ regularly (for extended periods of time as a family) and keeping track of the evidence they need to support their case.
Maintaining eligibility for Home/EU fees is particularly crucial for medical students as the difference between being admitted as a Home/EU student can amount to £250,000 with no student loans available for international students. In addition just 7.5% of places are allocated to international fee paying medical students due to the tie in with the NHS.
We conduct Fee Status Appraisals for potential students in order to prepare them in advance of their application – contact us at hello@ukstudyoptions.com for details.
What You Could Be Paying In Overseas Fees Compared To Home Fees
Overseas fees can range from around £12,000 a year to up to £27,000 for a lab based degree (including Maths) at Imperial and £35,000 plus for medicine or veterinary.
Many expats are still eligible for Home Fees: being settled in the UK and meet the main residence requirements – having a British or EU passport is just one aspect of eligibility, there are many others. The universities will also look at where the student has been residing in the three years prior to the first day of their university degree, if this is overseas, they will ask for details of your ‘ordinary residence’ in the UK and want to know why the student and family are based overseas, which may include information about the parent’s work contract, as well as seeking general background information. They may also ask for evidence to support a case for Home Fees and can go back to the students birth date if necessary.
Most people don’t realise until after the university applications are submitted to UCAS that they are going to have to make a case for Home Fees and send in evidence to show that they have active connections to the UK. The rules and regulations governing Home and EU fee status are vague, based on case law dating to the early 1980s and are open to interpretation by the university admissions staff.
This year (2016 entry) many students have been given a deadline of three weeks by their university choices to provide relevant evidence to support their case – not meeting the deadline may mean the universities will cancel their application. To complicate matters the UK has four governments, four countries that approach establishing a student’s fee status in a different manner and if a student is successful in obtaining Home/EU fee status at the university they have to go through a second process when they apply for student tuition fee loans.
With the real cost of an undergraduate degree estimated to be around £16,000 per head per annum, the universities are looking for students who have cut ties to their UK or EU base and have lost the right to being subsidised by the UK taxpayers. Recruiting overseas fee payers is an important income stream for universities. The Scottish Referendum in 2014 and the General Election in 2015 highlighted the issue of student fees and funding which is politically and economically driven.
Don’t be one of the families that have let their eligibility slide – make sure you know what to do to maintain your eligibility and what evidence you need to have to support your case.
I advise over a hundred families each year on their eligibility for UK/EU Fee Status – many of them are confused as to what constitutes eligibility and what evidence they need to send in to support their case. Don’t be caught out – contact www.ukstudyoptions.com for a Fee Status appraisal now.