Miona

Ny daughter wants to return to the UK to do uni (she has another 2 years of school left). Trouble is, they charge you overseas rates if you have been living outside of the UK for the three years prior to uni entrance. Seems a bit mean when anyone from the EU can get a tertiary education in UK for local rates but British citizens can't! Has anyone had a similar experience and is there anyway you can get around this rule some way so that you only have to pay the local rates??

JAJ

It's not so mean when you consider that universities are funded by British taxes, which British citizens outside the United Kingdom don't pay.

The EU/EEA issue is simply a reciprocal agreement whereby students from each other's country are treated as home students. It may not be fair, but withdrawal from the EU is likely the only way that problem could be solved.

What's wrong with going to a good Australian university, eg one of the Group of Eight? http://www.go8.edu.au

Miona

Thanks for your input JAJ. It is my daughter's wish not mine that she go to uni in the UK. I suppose for her it is a way of exploring the place of her birth. Yes I agree it is a funding issue and nothing more but here in Australia, all citizens and PR get local (ie HECS) rate at uni even if they have lived all of their life overseas. Does that make Australia more generous or more stupid than the UK?? Most Australian universities including some in the G8, are pretty dire these days but so are many of the UK ones ...

helinuk

I sypathise with you!
We left Singapore as expats so we could spend 3 yrs in uk again before our son went to uni to avoid the issue of overseas fees. Now we are looking moving to nz - (tried and can't get oz visa) anyway we will be in a dilema because son will be in 4th yr at uk uni and daughter will want to go to uni. So all that planning with son will be lost. If anyone has any advice I'd be interested in it too.
We've paid 40% tax to uk gov. for last 4 yrs and we will be charged as if son is 'overseas student' if we move to nz . It seems that my dreams of life downunder are in danger of being crushed by uni fees.

Miona

I had thought about going back to the UK then the daughter could finish school, take a gap year and we will have fulfilled the 3 years requirement but we also have a son going into high school next year and he doesn't want to move. Difficult isn't it?

helinuk

you are where we were 4 yrs ago.
Our son took Alevels here then a gap yr in nz teaching is now doing a 4 yr uni course.Our daughter took GCSEs and is finishing Alevels next May.
All I can say is coming back here was hard for us, but it has given the kids a chance to finish a uk education,(they were in a british system school in Singapore) and proved to hubby that I really don't like living in uk.