is your child an "international" student

[kiwibella]

my dd is currently in Year 10 so I'm beginning to think beyond GCSE's. We are from New Zealand but have been living here for 7 years. We don't yet have citizenship (although we can start the process). If you are or have been in a similar situation, I'm wondering how you have managed your child as an international student? When did fees kick in? Were the charges extraordinary? Are options limited?

I don't have direct experience (ie I was born in the UK), but I do have some knowledge of the system - have been working for a consultancy company that deals with prospective international students.

The situation in higher education is really subject to change at the moment. Currently, the official line is that fees for international students will not rise as the fees for UK students are due to in 2012. IMO this should be taken with a very large pinch of salt. If you have browse on some university websites, you'll find that they are happily publishing their 2011-12 fees for international and home students, and the 2012-13 fees for home students. Figures for an international student after 2012 are largely impossible to obtain.

Are options limited? Not at all, as long as you are able to spend some fairly serious money.

However, don't let this put you off - the whole situation may be completely different by the time your dd goes. Higher education is going through some really substantial changes at the moment. My advice would be to forget about it until term starts for the 2011 intake. At that point, you are more likely to get some answers re. fees after 2012. Then contact the British Council (they have a website called Education UK) and ask some questions.

Sorry - that wasn't that helpful... it's just that no one really knows what the future holds in this area.

Does your dd have any idea of what she might like to study btw?

WRT international student status, your daughter will not necessarily be an international student even though she does not have citizenship. 'Home' status is determined by length and nature of residency not simply citizenship. You've been living here for 7 years, presumably for work, so your daughter may well be a 'home student'.

In terms of fees, it's likely to be expensive either way.

thanks both, very helpful in different ways. I understood what you were getting at in your first message lovelybertha. I will check out the Education website too. At the moment I'm gathering information.

Unfortunately my dd has no idea what she wants to do. She does, however, have opinions about what she won't do!! Damsel, I hadn't considered that our length of stay might affect her status. We are eligible to apply for citizenship... we just don't have three grand to do it right now but do have tactics in place to (hopefully) have it done by the time dd finishes her GCSEs.

Dd is also considering returning to New Zealand... but, from what I understand (my bil's siblings are a couple of years older and looking in to this now) she will have similar concerns about eligibility because of how long she has been away from NZ.

we don't have access to public funds (and I think rightly so) so I'm presuming that she won't be able to obtain a student loan.

I think if you can prove you are 'Ordinarily Resident' (ie. have no immigration restriction on the length of your stay in the UK), you can get a student loan.

WRT Damsel's post - take a look at this:
www.brad.ac.uk/hub/Payzone/FeeAssessment/CategoryTwo/#d.en.440

It seems that if your dd qualifies as a 'home student', she also qualifies for a SL.

If you have indefinite leave to remain or can be classed as "ordinarily Resident" in the UK then you don't have to pay international student rates.

Be warned however, you may have to point this one out to the powers that be. I'm a kiwi with IDR. I've done a PGCE and an MSc in the UK and paid home fees both times.

If your daughter is considered an international student, and if she has a good academic record, she will be able to apply for international student scholarships. There are some universities (like Westminster in London) that offer full scholarships (covering tuition fees, residence costs, textbooks). There are also many external scholarships out there for foreign students. www.foreignstudents.com has a good database of these.