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AIBU?

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Original poster

Moving abroad but DD wants to study in the UK

65 replies

User112 · 18/06/2021 12:17

DH's job is being moved abroad. Its a highly specialized niche, so it has been extremely difficult to find another job here unfortunately. DD is in Y10 and has her heart set on studying medicine. If she comes back to study here, she'll have to pay international fees - won't she?

We are not sure if this'll be a permanent move as DH's mum is alone here. Also, DD has special needs, so we cannot leave her with grandma.

Are there any medical schools in the UK/Ireland that have reasonable fees for returning residents ?

OP posts:
cupsofcoffee · 18/06/2021 15:06

Do you really have to move now? She's right bang in the middle of her GCSE's!

Eledamorena · 18/06/2021 15:06

I live abroad and the international university fees are a concern for lots of Brits here, but they don't always end up paying them. I know one person who has had 3 children all go back to the UK for uni without paying international fees. I think there may be an element of luck of the draw. The children weren't born in the UK and had never lived there prior to uni, but are citizens. Parents do own property there though, perhaps that was a factor.

To add to concerns about moving your daughter mid-GCSE, I would say that while of course it is not ideal, it is possible. International schools are much more used to dealing with this than UK schools, due to the nature of students coming and going. Sometimes it doesn't work out or students repeat Year 10, but I have also seen it work really well. You would need to find a flexible school and be really up front about your daughter's current programme, progress, and needs. But it is possible. Lots of people move country at inconvenient times!

sbhydrogen · 18/06/2021 15:10

Can DH go abroad and you and DD stay in the UK? Just until she gets into uni.

HollowTalk · 18/06/2021 15:12

Have you seen this article?

Councilworker · 18/06/2021 15:15

Would you also be able to pay all University living costs? I think that student loans are dependent on UK residency not just course fees?

I echo not moving her mid GCSEs if at all possible to avoid disruption to her education

FunMcCool · 18/06/2021 16:08

If she’s a British citizen then she won’t have to pay fees will she?

LIZS · 18/06/2021 17:38

@FunMcCool

If she’s a British citizen then she won’t have to pay fees will she?
It is based on residency not citizenship.
SallyMcNally · 18/06/2021 23:21

@LIZS

Boarding in uk is not usually recognised for SF purposes
This is true for people who are ordinarily resident elsewhere but if she has always lived in the UK and has stayed behind when her parents have left then it will count, same for army boarders etc.

Op each university assess applications for home fees individually and although there is a fair bit of guidance and case law it's not always clear cut and you do get different universities making different decisions based on the same paperwork.

Decisions are based on where the family is "ordinarily resident" but it's complex. In some circumstances you can be ordinarily resident in two countries. An easy example of someone who lived abroad but is likely to qualify for home fees might be someone who's parent has been posted overseas by their company on a time limited contract. They may also have a time limited visa/no right to remain in the country they are in but this isn't always the case. They would have rented their property out and would be paying UK tax on that rental income. They would spend the majority of available holidays back in the UK, returning at least once a year. They intend to return to the UK at the end of the contract.

Someone who wouldn't usually qualify would be someone whose parent have taken a job in a foreign country where they have unlimited right to remain and completely emigrated- sold their house and all possessions and totally shipped out. They no longer have interests in the uk and have no intention of returning anytime soon.

Like I say it's nuanced but I would think you would have a decent case for claiming home fees of it is just a temporary move. Equally If your daughter decides to remain behind with her grandmother/boarding then I don't think any university would assess her as overseas.

Overseas medicine fees are £40000pa+ living expenses and she wouldn't qualify for student loans either so you are right to be very careful about this!

Posieandpip · 18/06/2021 23:28

Just give them your UK address not your abroad one? Surely? Why would you mention it to them?!

Bloomsbury45 · 19/06/2021 07:19

Just give them your UK address not your abroad one? Surely? Why would you mention it to them?

Fraud is never a good idea. And particularly not when a conviction might ruin your chosen career prospects. And in this case the DC’s references, higher level qualifications, and recent work experience would all be linked to the country she had been living in for the two years before she applied. So it would be pretty obvious to those processing the application.

Ritasueandbobtoo9 · 19/06/2021 08:22

I would stay here with DD and visit for a year and then think about options for A levels.

Echo what others have said about Medicine.

OneYeminRoad · 19/06/2021 08:29

Just give them your UK address not your abroad one? Surely? Why would you mention it to them?
You need more than an address to apply to university. You need results, references, extra curricular information, work experience etc.

ShinyGreenElephant · 19/06/2021 08:39

I would stay with DD and let DH go. Would have to be pretty much life or death for me to move her at this crucial stage of her education - could absolutely annihilate her life chances if the move messes up her gcses. Not worth it at all. Just let your husband go and have lots of holidays and long weekends, then join him once DD is sorted

Hathertonhariden · 19/06/2021 08:42

It's a terrible time to be disrupting your child's education. We moved whilst I was at secondary school and it's not just the academic disruption but the social disruption to manage on top, which is a huge amount of pressure to deal with if your dd is trying to get top grades.

Is there no way you can stay in the UK whilst your dh pursues his career? Your dd needs your support more than he does.

Charley50 · 19/06/2021 08:46

I think you need to stay here with your DD, at least until she finishes her GCSEs. Your DH can go alone initially.

Couldhavebeenme2 · 19/06/2021 09:32

OP medicine is brutal - my ds is has just finishing her f2 year and is taking a year out to consider if this is how she wants to live her life. The course had a 20% drop-out every year, only about a third of the folk who started the course actually graduated, and these all were initially selected from hundreds of applicants.

Have you really considered if your dds sen needs will allow her to complete such a gruelling course?

And that's without the disruption that moving mid-gcses is going to cause. Med schools are looking for the best of the best - they DO look at gcse results as well as a-levels.

Is there any scope for you to stay until she's at least finished y11?

FinallyHere · 19/06/2021 10:03

but they don't always end up paying them ... there may be an element of luck of the draw.

The determining factor is where the parents are domiciled.

My farther started work for an organisation in London and then was sent by them overseas for over thirty years. His pay and benefits all came from London, he paid NI and tax in UK (bilateral agreements with the local office).

In those circumstances he was clearly temporarily abroad and ordinary resident / domiciled in the UK. As his children, we were treated as any UK based family for Uni grants and fees.

Anyone looking from outside would not know about the pay arrangements, might just think we have moved abroad and then somehow avoided 'foreign Uni fees' but they would be entirely wrong.

Domicile is not straightforward to establish. It would be worth understanding it and maybe tweaking the terms of employment to ensure retaining domicile.

FinallyHere · 19/06/2021 10:05

Overall though, if the father's job is moved abroad, surely it would be possible for the mother at least to would stay in the UK to provide a home from which the child could complete at least secondary education.

Hoppinggreen · 19/06/2021 10:08

In your situation I would stay here with my daughter for 2 years

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 19/06/2021 10:08

As a teacher, moving kids in Y10 is terrible.

Can’t he go and you stay until she finishes school?

What sort of company thinks it’s OK to drag a child out of GCSE years? That’s the question is he asking

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 19/06/2021 10:08

I’d be asking…

4PawsGood · 19/06/2021 10:13

@Hoppinggreen

In your situation I would stay here with my daughter for 2 years
Wouldn’t it be three years? But yes, if she wants to do medicine I don’t think you can move her mid GCSE.
Wbeezer · 19/06/2021 10:14

Being a dual national puts a different spin on it.
Also reciprical arrangement wirh the EU and Scottish unis don't exist for new EU students due to Brexit, they are now treated as internationals (just to clear up a point made by a PP)
You are going to have to read the fine print on lots of admission policies.

LIZS · 19/06/2021 10:16

@Wbeezer

Being a dual national puts a different spin on it. Also reciprical arrangement wirh the EU and Scottish unis don't exist for new EU students due to Brexit, they are now treated as internationals (just to clear up a point made by a PP) You are going to have to read the fine print on lots of admission policies.
It was still in place for 2021intake but may subsequently have changed.
LIZS · 19/06/2021 10:16

Sorry 2020/21