Can universities waive overseas fees and charge home fees?

[ShuddaCudda]

Pipe-dreaming, but wondering if unis ever do this? I moved abroad so would be hit with astronomical international fees for a postgraduate degree. The course I am looking at are part time and online, so apart from the high fees are doable.

Anybody know?

Do you still have an address at home? We certainly have students who work abroad, but I can’t imagine they are charged overseas fees as they can make a claim to reside in the UK. Alternatively, could you move back to claim you are UK resident? Or apply for a programme in your current country? I’m assuming this is for a master’s?

Yes, MA degree. There are a couple of British unis with fantastic courses that really appeal.

Unfortunately, no UK address.

Highly unlikely

If you live overseas and aren’t paying tax in the U.K. I am not sure why you’d be entitled to U.K. tax-payer subsidised adulation.

@MaskingForIt

If you live overseas and aren’t paying tax in the U.K. I am not sure why you’d be entitled to U.K. tax-payer subsidised adulation.

Education, not adulation!

@MaskingForIt

If you live overseas and aren’t paying tax in the U.K. I am not sure why you’d be entitled to U.K. tax-payer subsidised adulation.

I'm not entitled and didn't say I thought I should be entitled.

I was musing, wondering if it is at their discretion to waive it for example if a course isn't full. If they ever take the view that getting home student fees is better than an empty space, I suppose.

I lived in the UK until fairly recently, and there is just such a huge difference in home fees and international.

If you can offer something exceptional, they may make a bursary offer...but that's not very likely for a taught Masters course.

Where are you living? Are there unis that offer it there?

Genuine question, but if you've moved to Europe, is there a reason you're not looking at local universities, as European university fees are usually far more "affordable" (haha) than UK universities.

I don't live in Europe.

No, they won't do this. They can't give you a subsidy without justification, so you can apply for the bursaries etc.

A separate issue, but the residency criteria must surely be a problem for British couples who move abroad for work who have older children who then want to attend British unis?

I would assume no.
My friend was living and working in the UK so paying taxes but as she wasn’t a permanent resident when she started her part time phd but she had to pay overseas fee. She became a permanent resident 8 months into the course and then later became British but the uni told her she still has to keep paying the overseas fees because they base it on her status when she started. She always wished she started a year later but hey
Universities make a lot of their money from overseas students but some have scholarships that you could qualify for

I moved to the US for a few years and did an MA while I was out there with a UK university and paid local (i.e non international) fees.

I can't remember if I didn't have to pay international fees because we hadn't moved permanently (it was always a temporary post), but I know I had to provide proof of UK citizenship etc, which I assume you still have?

It might be worth talking to the uni, it's what I did initially and they were fine with it.

Home fees are UK government subsidied. It is not the university's decision who is eligible for those. They can give bursaries, although these are limited for international students.

Nothing lost by asking if there is financial support for international students on the course, even if unlikely.

I think you need to be resident in the U.K. for 3 years to pay non international fees. Some unis won’t ask so they I’m can put bums on seats - but would you want your pg from somewhere that does that?

It will depend on how many years you have lived abroad. If the move is reasonably recent then you may still count as a home student. Otherwise, no they won’t make an exception for you - other students would be rightly annoyed if they did and universities have to be careful to treat everyone fairly.

Yes they can charge less in theory but in reality why should they? It depends a bit on how long ago you moved.

Parents who move abroad with teens face this all the time

I’ve just asked my DH as this is what he does for a living.

A university COULD do this but it’s unlikely. Exceptions tend to be made for non-British citizens resident here as a refugee / asylum seekers

No harm asking as many universities are desperate for students but it’s unlikely.

I work in a university and have some experience of admissions. We'd ask applicants in your position to complete a form and supply various bits of evidence, then carry out a fee status assessment. Every university will have some version of this process, so it's worth at least asking. Good luck!

@ShuddaCudda yes uni costs for expat kids is an issue- I made sure I moved back to the UK in good time!

Assuming you are a British citizen or lived here for more than half your life, you might be eligible for home fees. It depends whether you are "ordinarily resident" in the UK or not. You can be ordinarily resident in more than one country at the same time. If you've been living abroad to study you would still be ordinarily resident in the UK or possibly if you moved abroad because you or your spouse were temporarily employed there ie on a fixed contract.