University entry - ‘home’ fees after a time abroad?

[kasareem]

Hi,
my family are considering a couple of years living abroad but our eldest is just starting sixth form and the info I can find says unless she’s resident in the UK for three years before her course starts, she’ll be an international student and pay higher fees with no loan when she goes to university. Does anyone have any experience of this? We are all British citizens and have been paying tax here forever!

No amount of googling seems to give any other answer, but that universities have ‘discretion’ around charging international fees so I was hoping someone else might have been in our situation and have some positive experience 🤞thanks!

the info I can find says unless she’s resident in the UK for three years before her course starts, she’ll be an international student and pay higher fees with no loan when she goes to university

This is true.
commonslibrary.parliament.uk/eligibility-for-home-fee-status-and-student-support-in-england/

It's quite nuanced. If you can show that the move was always intended as a temporary thing then they may still be eligible for home fees. This can be through things such as proof of keeping a residence in the U.K., continuing to pay taxes in the U.K., parent having a temporary overseas work contract etc.

UKCISA may be able to advise further.

Two of my adult children moved abroad to teach. They were both informed by different universities that they would now need to pay international fees and no loan. Seems pretty bonkers but that are the rules.

Thanks for replying guys, it does seem pretty bonkers! That sounds like a glimmer of hope Belimoo… we’ll be renting out our house while we’re away so paying tax here so fingers crossed!!

It would be so much better if you could delay the move until she has started Uni

It seems like a very disruptive time to be moving abroad. Why not delay it?

Hmm UKCISA says
”A person is not ordinarily resident in the UK simply because they have British nationality; hold a British passport; are registered with a GP in the UK; have an NHS number; own property in the UK; or have paid (or are currently paying) National Insurance contributions and taxes in the UK...British Citizens who are no longer living and settled in the UK cannot be said to be Ordinarily Resident in the UK."

If you are british and live in the EU, you will qualify for home fee status until 2028

Thanks so much for all the comments - you guys are so much better than Google! It's a move through choice, rather than necessity so we could certainly put it off... I think we're just very conscious that this is her last chance to experience the lifestyle change as a child rather than being an adult and we don't want to give that experience to our other children and not her! But if it's going to make her life that much harder then we'll need to rethink! It's such a balancing act ... We're very lucky to be in the position to do it though so we just need to work out the best timing and getting your opinions on it is very helpful!

I would get her to phone Admissions at your local Uni and ask their advice. But it doesn’t sound like a good time for her to be moving abroad. How will she attend Uni Open Days etc?

If you are going on a temporary contract for work and can show that you haven't properly emigrated then unis will usually assess as home fees.

Strong supporting evidence are things like still being employed by your UK employer and just being seconded abroad on a time limited contract. Not having the right to remain in the new country and maintaining house, paying tax etc at home. You will also be asked to demonstrate that you return frequently to the uk.

Children of diplomats and army staff will usually qualify for home fees as an example

It's not just the uni you need to convince, it's the SLC as well.

It does seem an odd time to go though. Why would you throw your child into a new country and new education system at such a critical point in their educational career? Where you planning an English curriculum school? One that has experience of the UK uni system?

(Btw someone suggested if you go to the EU it'll be ok because of the pre-Brexit agreement - note that this agreement only applies to UK nationals who were domiciled in the EU when we left the EU, not those that emigrated after.)

Interpretations can be inconsistent. You may find Scottish unis view her status differently. However she is not really a child now but a young adult and being taken out of her familiar education setting and away from friends could impact on her results. Does she want to go? Any siblings to consider? Do you have right to reside and work in the other country?

Hi thanks for all the comments! Yes, don't worry we are taking them somewhere they really want to go - they are dual nationality and their dad grew up there and the kids are all keen! She would be there in a heartbeat if we could iron out the admin 😂😂.

Curious they say registered with a GP as you are not entitled to NHS care unless you are ordinarily resident in the UK.

It used to be quite strict with jobs overseas to include things like being paid in the UK, being entitled to paid for trips back to the UK and relocation expenses back to the UK.

I have been on the wrong side of this: abroad for 3 years before uni because of dads job and had to pay international fees. Very little wiggle room except for children of diplomats (who are on international postings). In that situation the kids were mostly sent to boarding school to keep home status before uni ...but if that wasn't possible then have to show documentation proving that parents job necessitated moving abroad - i have only know kids of diplomats to get this exemption.

My ds paid home fees. We were living in China at the time, but Dh’s contract clearly stated he was a Uk employee on a secondment contract. He had been on
secondment for over 20 years at that point! The university wanted a copy of all dh’s contracts. We did not apply for a student loan and paid his fees ourselves.

On the NHS care, if you’re not ordinarily resident you’re not entitled to care on the NHS except for GP and A&E care. For all other NHS care (inpatient, or outpatient consultant care), you would be a private pay patient and either your travel insurance, your country of residence* or you personally would reimburse the NHS at 150% of base cost for your care.

Due to nonresident health tourists asking to be invoiced and then absconding from the U.K. without paying, if you don’t have proof of travel insurance or proof of country paid health coverage, many NHS hospitals now take payment upfront.

*If there is an international health care agreement like the EHIC card where your country’s government would reimburse the NHS.

Yes, that was my experience too that you have to prove the move abroad was not by choice, but a necessity. And foreign office/military are generally ordered to a post abroad. We can’t say “no thank you”….

I work with students overseas applying to universities in the UK (and other countries). Many of them are British passport holders, and many have been overseas for years. Of their five choices, every single one of our 120-strong UK cohort get home fees status at at least one of their choices every year, and often in all five choices. In fact, there is a whole industry growing up around tracking which universities are more 'generous' etc (I don't do that, I work in a school), so it's relatively easy to apply strategically after research and get a home fees offer. For our students who have 'only' been here for sixth form, they almost all get home fees, except at Edinburgh, Kings and Imperial, who are notoriously strict.

The uni will ask for documentation in many cases. The more of this you have, the better:
-owning property in the UK
-paying council tax
-having lived in the UK for at least 7 years
-working overseas for a British company/international company that has 'posted you'
-paying UK taxes
-maintaining links with the UK through regular trips back
-being in a country on a visa linked to a job, so your residency rights are lost if you complete your contract
-etc.

This is down to the fact that 'ordinarily resident' hasn't been given a strict definition in UK law, and in fact it has been proved that it is possible to be 'ordinarily resident' in two countries simultaneously. It is challenged in the courts relatively recently. UKCISA is a great resource to know the rules, but be aware that each uni is responsible for applying the rules, and their practices vary wildly.

OP, if you want to pm me feel free! If you want to mention specific unis your daughter might be interested in, and if you meet many of the criteria mentioned above, I can tell you how likely we'd think your chances of home fees are.

@Justcannot it's not just the unis though. If Poppleton Uni assesses you as Home, but SFE consider you overseas, you ain't gonna get a loan even if Poppleton only charge you £9250 a year!

@Justcannot that is so helpful, thank you! We have a lot of options at the moment, so we need to narrow down what we actually want to do. It would be very helpful if I could message you, thank you, as our situation is very specific and any help would be wonderful!! Even if we can't get a loan, paying outright for home fees is better than international fees!!

Children of diplomats and army staff will usually qualify for home fees as an example

That is because there are specific rules for those abroad on a governmental posting. They are not an example of how you demonstrate that you are ordinarily resident

Sorry, @kasareem is right, I didn't mention the loan. SF are much stricter eith the residency requirements than most universities, and very few students overseas qualify for a loan at all. The few that do are either covered by the Brexit withdrawal bill or diplomatic/military postings.

We are living outside of the UK for the past 6 years due to my work, I was posted temporarily for work and will be returning to the UK next year with my job. My daughter wants to go to a UK Uni with home fees, can you advise on UK universities are more likely to grant us home fee status, thanks