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Tag Archive for: ordinary residence

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Fee Status ‘Ordinary Residence’

6 March 2024

Understanding Ordinary Residence for UK University Fee Status

Navigating the intricacies of fee status regulations for UK universities can be a daunting task, especially for expats living abroad. Among the key terms in these rules, “ordinary residence” stands out as a crucial determinant for fee eligibility. However, its ambiguity often leads to confusion among prospective students.

Because the fee status rules do not provide a definition of ordinary residence, each university will have their own policy and interpretation. This means that different universities can legitimately come to a different outcome when looking at the same case. Universities will often refer to the guidance provided by UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) when assessing this. UKCISA point to case law and government guidance which is helpful to understand ordinary residence and provide a useful summary on their website.

The Significance

In most cases of Home fee status, applicants must demonstrate ordinary residence in a specific location for a continuous three-year period before commencing their university studies. Despite its importance, the fee status rules offer no clear definition of ordinary residence, adding to the complexity of the process.

University Policies and Interpretations

Since the fee status rules lack a definitive definition, each university sets its own policy and interpretation regarding ordinary residence. This means that different institutions may arrive at varying conclusions when assessing fee eligibility. Many universities refer to guidance provided by UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs), which relies on case law and government directives to offer clarity on ordinary residence.

Eligibility Criteria for Home Fees

It’s essential to note that various categories of Home fees exist, each with distinct eligibility criteria. Depending on your nationality or immigration status, you may qualify for Home fees by demonstrating ordinary residence in a location outside the UK, such as the Republic of Ireland, certain British Overseas Territories, or Europe (EEA or Switzerland until 2027).

What does it Mean?

Legal precedents, such as the case of Shah, provide some clarity on ordinary residence. It is defined as a “regular and habitual mode of life” for a settled purpose, emphasising the lawful nature of the residence. To establish this, universities assess various aspects of an applicant’s life through a Fee Status Questionnaire (FSQ). This includes evidence of a permanent UK address used regularly and habitually, along with a pattern of travel indicating the UK address as the primary residence.

Conclusion

Understanding ordinary residence is crucial for determining fee status eligibility at UK universities. While the concept may seem vague, legal precedents and university policies provide guidance for applicants. By gathering sufficient evidence and meeting the criteria outlined by universities, prospective students can navigate the fee status process with confidence, ensuring fair access to educational opportunities.

UK Study Options are experts in UK University Fee Status who provide personalised advice to expat families helping them to achieve Home fee status. We visit schools all over the world on a regular basis to present seminars for parents – check our events page to see if we are in your region soon.

Fee Status Checker Tool: To make the process of determining eligibility even easier, we’ve introduced our new Fee Status Checker. This online tool allows families to quickly assess whether their child could be eligible for Home fees, providing instant results and relevant resources for further research. By simplifying this crucial first step, we ensure that families can move forward confidently with the university application process. Visit our Fee Status Checker to get started.

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UK/EU Expats – don’t lose your eligibility for Home fees!

1 August 2017

Being eligible for Home or EU fees isn’t quite as straightforward as many expats think. Families assume that having British and/or EU citizenship and owning property in the UK or EU is enough to get an offer as a Home or EU fee payer. It’s not …but read on….!

Here are some points to help you understand what the universities are looking for when the UCAS applications go in each year:

  • The universities have to undertake due diligence to identify students who are eligible for a Home OR an EU offer.
  • Most students who are at school overseas will receive a Fee Status Questionnaire in order to gather the information necessary to assess the student’s eligibility. This document may be extensive to include other categories of students such as asylum seekers or immigrants who may also be eligible as well as expats.
  • You need to prove that your permanent residence is in one country: the UK OR EU and that you maintain your status by travelling back as a family for extensive periods of time each year to one particular place. (One parent and siblings should be enough).
  • You will need a permanent home address – only one! You can’t make a case for having a permanent home in say an EU country AND England. Each of the four UK countries has a different fee structure and loan company. Depending upon your offer you may then apply to the relevant loans company. International students are not eligible for student loans.
  • Initially, the universities look back at the student’s whereabouts for three years prior to the first day of the first academic term. A student applying for 2018 entry will have to show where they lived between 2015 and 2018. If the information is not clear the universities will request information about the student’s whereabouts since birth.
  • The rules and regulations governing fee status allow for a student to be temporarily based overseas if they maintain strong links to their home by returning for perhaps a month or so each year to one address.
  • There is provision for the parents being temporarily based overseas due to their work and therefore the student having to be based with the parents.
  • Each university may ask for a variety of documents as proof of your ‘ordinary residence’ in the UK or EU such as e-tickets in and out, utility bills, property deeds or rental agreements etc even shopping transactions in one place!

Problems arise when students and parents are not clear about their ‘ordinary residence’. Many expat families that we deal with have multi-national families and could ostensibly make a case for being either UK (Scotland, England, N Ireland or Wales) with regards to their ‘ordinary residence’ as well as perhaps an EU address. I have a number of families that have several properties and/or addresses they could use in the UK and perhaps an alternative property in the EU where they may spend several weeks each year. In this case students are at risk of losing their eligibility by not maintaining links to one particular place – their ‘ordinary residence’!

Problems also arise as the rules and regulations are open to interpretation and there is no blanket policy across the universities as to information they need from the student. If a university or course is competitive they are likely to have a large team dealing with Fee Status Questionnaires. The outcome from each institution as well as the evidence they ask for varies a great deal.

Be Prepared! Contact us for your personal fee status assessment

https://ukstudyoptions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/news-_0010_graduation-2038864_1920.jpg 600 800 Kate Raison https://ukstudyoptions.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ukso-r-logo.png Kate Raison2017-08-01 14:46:052019-08-07 13:38:55UK/EU Expats – don’t lose your eligibility for Home fees!

UKSO Blog

  • UK University Fee Status – The Basics Part 129 August 2023 - 10:50 am
  • UK University Fee Status Myths and Assumptions21 August 2023 - 3:23 pm
  • Are you now eligible for Home fees in Scotland? 7 August 2023 - 2:31 pm

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