Anyone able to advise on this? Relocating to UK and college applications?

[Bluebellina]

We will be relocating for work reasons from Ireland to the UK in summer 2018. Our teenage son is 17 and will be doing his final Leaving Certificate exams here in Ireland next June. The plan is for him to go to college in the UK but not until September 2019.
The reason for this is mostly because he has Aspergers Syndrome and although high functioning will take time to adjust to the change and will need to get used to public transport etc and also to visit colleges etc PLUS we are not exactly sure exactly where we will be living..needs to be in London but no idea where yet.

He was born in the UK and has a British Passport and lived there until he was 6 .

My question is do we need to apply for Universities/colleges this yr and then if he gets a place to defer for a year or do we just wait until next year and apply as you normally would for the academic year 2019?

I would be so thrilled if anyone knows the answer to this.
Thanks

You could do either but he may prefer the security of having got grades and choosing from definite offers. You may be treated as non UK for fees as he won't have been resident.

If he's looking at university entry for September 2019 then he doesn't need to apply through UCAS until Autumn 2018.

HOWEVER he will almost certainly be classified as EU fee status despite a U.K. passport - he'd have to have been domiciled in the U.K. for five years before he can count as a home student. With Brexit looming large this means there the strong likelihood of him being charged international fees, and not being eligible for fee or maintenance loans.

One additional thing is to look out for special courses at Unis for students with Aspergers - I know there is one at Bath. You don't have to be going to that Uni, and there are others at other Universities. This could be really useful for him, and if he's having a year between school and university, he could still do this the summer after his exams.

Titchy. Are you sure you are giving the right advice? I think your 5 year residency is incorrect? Happy to be corrected as Im going from memory and things do, of course, change.

UKCISA - websitee*.

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I thought the 3 year (5 year?). Thing was for international (non EU) students too.

Post Brexit he WILL be international! There'll be no difference between EU and International.... Maybe the negotiations will yield something else, but given that TM wants students to count in immigration targets, treating all non-UK-domiciled students as International is a distinct possibility, although no one, incl the EU negotiating teams actually knows anything right now. Worth bearing in mind...

(2018/9 UK government has guaranteed EU students will be regarded the same throughout their course, so eligible for loans etc, but this won't apply, probably, for 2019/20 intake).

Three years domicile changed to five for maintenance loans a year or so ago.

Ok but just to be clear it's still three years for the fees though.

I know next years EU students will still be classes as EU but I don't know when (or if?) they will switch to the international fee rate. Might there be some sort or reciprocal deal with other countries? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ahh, I've just found the info on the 5 years domicile requirement here. STUDENT LOANS COMPANY info here

I think the 🤷‍♀️ emoji pretty much covers it! Maybe with a sprinkling of 🤞

Thanks so much for the replies...I had not realised about the 3 yr residency requirement until mentioned above so thanks for pointing that out. So it is indeed possible to wait until next year then to apply for 2019...that's good! Really appreciate the advice

Argh.... not so fast...

The UK government has only confirmed that financial support for fees will be available for students starting in 2018. For students starting in 2019, it's a big fat unknown - but as article 50 will have expired by then there's a strong chance that he would be counted as international - so fees double++ and no tuition fee loans...

www.gov.uk/government/news/government-confirms-funding-for-eu-students-for-2018-to-2019

International fees in a UK college could be in the region of £25,000-£30,000 per annum. Your DS would not be eligible for fees or maintenance loans.

Fees in Ireland would be one-tenth of this (€3,000 per annum) in comparison.

Would your DS consider college in Ireland, or elsewhere in the EU, instead?

Unless you are extremely wealthy, you will need to give this very serious consideration.

Really late to this, but at the moment EU students studying in Scotland have no fees - no idea what Brexit will do to this however.

Ireland/UK relationship is an exception to the Brexit changes isn't it? Does that not apply to student financial status?

Ireland/UK relationship is an exception to the Brexit changes isn't it? Does that not apply to student financial status?

No!

In fact no on both counts! There may be a concession over border controls but that'll be it.