A level fees for returning British citizen

[Islaharb1]

Hello all, I have a son who is 17 and a British citizen but we have been living in Asia for the last 10 years. He wants to return to UK to study for his A levels, we are wondering what the course fees would be. Thank you in advance.

At public schools, you don't pay to study up to the age of 19, so the cost would be zero. If you feel you "need" to pay for private education, then the fees are in the kkkkks.

For A-levels the fees would be nil if he goes to a state sixth form or college (he is already older than most starting sixth form though).

Your biggest potential problem would be with university funding as the family, not just the child, needs to have been resident for three years prior to the university course starting in order to be classed as a 'home student' and fees for overseas students at British universities are scary ...

Agree with life , at State (as opposed to Private) it will be free.

What you might have to check is how your son would be considered for university fees after A levels. Would he count as overseas or local. (I don't know the answer)

What you might have to check is how your son would be considered for university fees after A levels. Would he count as overseas or local.

From what the OP has said, he would have to pay non-EU fees.

The detailed rules are here:

www.ukcisa.org.uk/Information--Advice/Fees-and-Money/England-fee-status

It's not quite as simple as "the family, not just the child, needs to have been resident for three years" but that is a good starting point.

Note that eligibility for student loans is subtly different, and EU nationals who are eligible for home fees may not be eligible for students loans. I have friends who moved to Ireland but whose children have returned to the UK for university; they pay home/EU fees, but have to pay them upfront rather than via student loans.

Thank you for all your replies. Seems it's free if study A levels in state school then still need 3 years continuous UK residency to qualify for university home fees.

Seems it's free if study A levels in state school then still need 3 years continuous UK residency to qualify for university home fees.

The key point is that the residency must not be for the sole purpose of education. So if you come to the UK and spend three years at a boarding school, or living in digs/lodging/with relatives/whatever while doing A Levels, with your parents still outside the UK, that will not count. That's why a poster upthread said "the whole family": if you're living with your parents, it's pretty obviously not just living in the UK for the purposes of education. As you move further away from that arrangement, it becomes progressively harder to claim you are ordinarily resident. Your parents living in the UK as well isn't necessary, but it's probably sufficient.

Thanks again for the clarification.