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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

UK university application if no longer living in UK?

5 replies

BettySuarez · 18/01/2012 21:29

Jumping ahead a bit here as DD not yet started A Levels but just investigating various possibilities.

Currently in the UK but may have to consider a move to the States if DH made redundant.

Not sure of timescales but DD adamant that she would want to return to UK to do her degree.

I'm worried about the implications of this re being eligible for funding (fees and living costs)

Does anyone have any experience of this?

If we move out of the UK would we jeopardise our eligibility for applying for student loans?

We don't have sufficient savings to pay for tuition fees upfront (whether here or the US)

OP posts:
giddyauntdora · 19/01/2012 19:19

You are right to be thinking about this now as I think your DD will have had to have lived in the UK for three years prior to the start of her course to qualify for 'Home' fee status.
See here: www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/fees_student_support.php for details
HTH

giddyauntdora · 19/01/2012 19:22

I don't know about her eligibility for student loans though, sorry Smile

LondonMother · 21/01/2012 08:31

It would be best to take informed advice about this, Betty, as it's a complex area. I know a little about it from work, but you have to be specially trained to assess this kind of stuff fully, and I'm not.

You're very wise to think about it now - it's surprising how many people living abroad don't appreciate that nationality is not the only thing taken into account when it comes to university fees. Residence is the killer criterion.

Firstly, your daughter needs to be classified as a Home/EU student to get the UK level of fees charged - under the new arrangements the difference between that and the overseas fee for undergraduate students won't be so great, as the UK government is no longer subsidising most undergraduate teaching, but as far as I can see if you're not a Home/EU student you're not entitled to a student loan, full stop. Following giddy's link above, I see that there's a lot of guidance on eligibility for student support here:

www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/info_sheets/student_support_england.php

Home/EU students have to have either EU citizenship or indefinite leave to remain in an EU country - this bit is no problem for your daughter. But they also have to have been ordinarily resident in the EU for three years prior to starting the course, and that means having their permanent base here, not just coming here for the purposes of study. This is the bit that might trip you up depending on how long you will be out of the UK before your daughter reaches university age.

I think there are ways round it for those who can afford to keep a permanent home in the UK as well as their temporary base overseas. I don't know how thoroughy these arrangements are scrutinised, which is why I would suggest getting a UK university admissions team to give you their opinion, if you can. If they looked into it thoroughly, I doubt you'd get away with giving the grandparents' home as the UK address, say, but maybe people with experience will comment.

Of course, if you were there long enough your daughter might become eligible for some kind of support from the US government/state - I know of a US student currently studying in London who has some kind of loan/grant, but have no idea what the qualifying criteria are.

Good luck!

mummytime · 21/01/2012 08:47

It is really complicated, if you move permanently to the US she loses her entitlement to being considered a "home" student. That means she would have to pay the Overseas student fees which are considerably higher.
I would suggest you investigate this thoroughly before you go, there are legal cases over who is just "temporarily overseas" and who has moved permanently.
If you do move I would also look at US universities and what kind of funding, loans etc. she will be eligible for there.
BTW sending her back to the UK to board is not enough for her to get home status here.

Bluestocking · 21/01/2012 08:51

I'm sure you know that the situation with regard to university fees in the UK is about to change dramatically, and student loan funding may change too. Look at this website for the most recent information. LondonMum is right that residence is the "killer criterion" rather than nationality. Depending on how long you are in the US before your daughter starts university, she may well qualify for in-state tuition at the universities in the state where you live. Many top-ranking US universities practise "needs-blind" admissions where students who've been offered a place are awarded financial aid to enable them to take up the place.

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