Applying to university from EU

[wishihadrubyslippers]

My EU nationality DS wants to do his degree in England (2021 entry).

The gvt announced yesterday that from 2021 EU citizens will no longer be eligible for UK fees and student finance.

I never applied for British nationality for my dc as before Brexit there was no need. They are eligible for citizenship and he will be applying for an adult passport.

I have been scouring the web trying to find out if this will make him elegible for the home fees and student finance (by this I mean no up-front tuition fees, with these being paid for by the student loan. I know he won't qualify for a maintenance grant and we have just about budgetted for that) but can't find anything. Short of robbing a bank/winning the lottery/inheriting, there is no way we can afford £9250 + per year up front (actually probably much more if EU students will be paying international rates from now on) as well as living costs.

Of course he could study here, but he was so looking forward to going.

Does anyone know if having a British passport/citizenship but never having lived in the UK entitles you to home fees, as of 2021?

Have a look at the Student Finance England website. Your son could also contact the universities he’s interested in to get advice.

Eligibility is based on where you live as well as nationality. So getting a UK passport now won’t help if you live outside the U.K. He would have needed about three years residency in the U.K.

There’s still time to apply for September 2020 entry if that would be practical for him?

Thanks for answering.

I've actually just rung the admissions dept of his first choice uni and they couldn't answer my question re eligibilty for UK rates. They did confirm that international fees will apply to EU students from 2021, which we just can't afford.

I will contact Student Finance England.

Unfortunately he still has the equivalent of year 13 to do so can't apply for 2020.

Bloody Brexit!

Does anyone know if having a British passport/citizenship but never having lived in the UK entitles you to home fees, as of 2021?

It hasn't for a young member of my family who was mostly brought up & educated in New Zealand. They were going to have to pay full overseas fees.

But there's no blanket practice - each university has its own practices with international students and fees. So do check with the places he's interested in.

Generally, you need to show an ongoing and long-standing connection with the UK - a family home that is used regularly, for example. Or evidence that the family is "domiciled" in the UK, but that parents are working abroad for a fixed length of time eg a 5 year contract.

Citizenship isn't enough. But universities may treat EU /UK nationals differently. I think you need to ask each university.

He would have needed about three years residency in the U.K

And generally those three years shouldn't be just for education ie a dual national, whose family is permanently outside the UK, but sends a child to a UK boarding school, wouldn't automatically be eligible.

Eligibility is based on residence not nationality so if you are ordinarily resident elsewhere in the three years before the course starts you would not be eligible for Home fees even if you do get a British passport. .

Your only option might be to try and find a programme with a foundation year that might accept your son this year. It's not really best practice but unis are quite desperate this year and they understand the issues.

I can't really recommend this as a course of action though. It risks being very disruptive for your son and he will miss our on his last year of school.

Scotland and Wales haven't announced what they are doing yet- it's possible there will be different arrangements. The other option might be the ROI which would offer an English language experience and has some great universities.

If he lives in the UK and has done for 3 years (or 5 with ILR) or Ireland it's fine. Otherwise, no sadly Brexit... although Scotland haven't announced.

Even if he had a UK passport he wouldn't pay UK fees as he needs to live in the UK for 3 years before university for non-educational purposes.

I have a UK passport and went to boarding school in England but lived overseas and has to pay overseas fees.

No is the answer. I have friends whose kids hold British passports but because work took them overseas they have to pay overseas rates and no loans, the parents can afford to pay thankfully. Always been a 3 year qualification even 30 years ago

There's going to be a seven-year grace period for UK nationals living in the EU.

This came out today from the British Council in France:

"UK nationals living in EU countries are guaranteed ‘home fee’ status for seven years after the end of the transition period (1 January 2021)."

So unless his recent "conversion" to British nationality is used as a technical get-out (which I doubt, but then again...) he is in the clear.

@shockthemonkey

Oh my goodness! That would be amazing! Hopefully the fact that we're only just applying won't go against us.

Do you have a link? I can't find the info on their website.

Sorry, forgot to say thank you to everyone else who has replied.

I was getting resigned to the sad fact but shockthemonkey has offered a glimmer of hope...

Don't have a link but do have a document emailed from them (and on their letterhead) -- if that helps then pm me with your email!

Will do. Thanks!

This came out today from the British Council in France:

"UK nationals living in EU countries are guaranteed ‘home fee’ status for seven years after the end of the transition period (1 January 2021)."

Doesn’t this just mean that UK nationals already resident / living in EU countries continue to have home fee status at EU universities until 2028? The OP says her son wants to study in England so surely this doesn’t apply to him? As a EU citizen who is not resident in the UK, OP’s son won’t qualify according to this:

www.timeshighereducation.com/news/eu-students-lose-home-status-and-loan-access-england-2021

Unfortunately OP’s son won’t qualify as a UK citizen either due to residency:

In order to be classed as a home (UK) student you need to meet all of the following criteria on the first day of the first academic year of the course:

• You are settled in the UK (this means there is no immigration restriction on the length of your stay)

• You are ordinarily resident in the UK, and have been for the full three years before the first day of the academic year. (Ordinarily resident means that your main home is in the UK, and you are choosing to live in the UK.)

• The main reason for you being in the UK was not to receive full-time education.

Agree with Tinkity. Sorry OP.

Can I also point out that while an individual university may assess him (incorrectly!) as having Home status, that doesn't mean that SLC will. Every year there are groups of students assuming they're ok cos their uni said so, then find themselves unable to access loans.

I agree with Tinkity too. Te 3 years residence rule for everyone has been around for decades and people bear it in mind if they move abroad from the UK with their children.A UK school friend of mine who moved to Germany and about 10 years before the children were doing GCSEs had to start thinking about costs of university and the rules. In fact their 3 British sons did 2 years in a UK boarding school -sixth form and then went to university inthe UK (they whole family is British born and from the UK) but I am not sure if that was anything to do with having 3 years of residence.

Always been a 3 year qualification even 30 years ago

Yup. You can thank Mrs T. for that.

Although, I have to say, what O/S students pay is pretty much what it actually costs to educate a university student. International students subsidise domestic students massively.

@shockthemonkey I have sent you a PM.

I know you are probably all right. I'm trying not to get my hopes up about this potential exception/loophole.

Also very good advice from Xenia re uni happy to admit but SLC not having any of it.

Thanks again everyone.

Today I found this:

www.ukpol.co.uk/robin-walker-2019-statement-on-uk-nationals-in-the-eu/

"UK nationals living in the EEA or Switzerland on exit day, who wish to study in England, will continue to be eligible for home fee status and student support from student finance England, along with access to further education 19+ funding for courses and apprenticeships in England starting up to seven years from exit day in a no deal scenario. In a deal scenario, the seven-year transition period will commence at the end of the implementation period.

The seven-year transition period will ensure that eligible UK nationals living in the EEA or Switzerland wishing to study in further education 19+, higher education, or undertake an apprenticeship in England, will be able to do so immediately on their return to the UK during this transition period."

How would you interpret this?
Has anyone here working in university admissions heard about it?

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/792710/Citizens__Rights_-_UK_nationals_in_the_EU.pdf

This link explains the 7 year rule on page 5. Apparently the 'previously resident in England' was a mistake and it will apply to UK nationals who have not previously lived in England but I have not seen any definite proof of this yet.

I think the universities will have to work it out by themselves. My daughter (UK national, Eu resident) is starting at an English university this September - the Student Loan company assessed her as an EU Student, but the university assessed her as home despite the fact that she has never lived in the UK.

Thanks graywall

Where/how did you hear that the 'previously resident in England' clause was a mistake?

It was from the British in Europe association - they raised it at a meeting with a government committee - paragraph 95 in the link below. But as I said I have not yet found any concrete proof that it has been definitely changed.

data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/exiting-the-european-union-committee/the-progress-of-the-uks-negotiations-on-eu-withdrawal/written/103421.pdf

the Student Loan company assessed her as an EU Student, but the university assessed her as home despite the fact that she has never lived in the UK.

That's really common. I assume you're aware that means no maintenance loan graywall?

Yes but it does mean she can access some bursaries and scholarships which she wouldn't have been able to as EU.

Thanks again. That's definitely encouraging although until we have written confirmation ds will be seriously looking into HE where we live and elsewhere within the EU.

Also thanks to titchy for pointing out the difference between individual universities' interpretation of home status and that of SLC upthread. I originally mistakenly thanked Xenia.