andrew63

In 2 years time, my daughter will be ready for Uni here.
However, as we will only have PR for 2 years, we cannot get citizenship and therefore have to pay full Uni fees up front and don't have that cash.

So, faced with 2 choices:
1) Daughter takes a year off "working" (she can't leave the country for the citizenship rules)
2) Daughter goes back to England for college (she wants to do this!) - if the fees are deferred etc.

The question is, does anyone know if option 2 is feasible? Can she just swan in with Aussie school-leaving grades and get the financial beneifit of being a British student? If she has to pay up front (I believe overseas students to England have to), then there is no financial advantage to doing this.

Option 3) Discover if it is possible just to pay the first year of Austrralian fees up front, get citizenship, then get a student loan for the remaining years.

Of course, in 2 years time, all this may change but any opinions now would be gratefully accepted.

Andrew

JAJ

You still pay domestic fees - not international (in case you were wondering).


For domestic fees purposes in the UK there is a *residency* requirement as well - British citizenship is not enough. And if it means living away from home, then there's more expenses on top.

The other - pretty fundamental - point to consider is that it will put back her Australian citizenship by many years if she goes to university in the UK. And if she stays longer than expected (happens to a lot of young people who leave without citizenship) then she could wake up one day and find her PR in Australia is gone for good.

A further issue to consider is whether her UK degree would be as well recognised in Australia (eg by Australian employers, professional bodies etc).

Check http://www.goingtouni.gov.au to see what happens if a PR becomes a citizen during a course (she won't be the only one by any means).

Jeremy

moneypenny20

If she can't leave the country in option 1 because of citizenship rules, how can she in option 2?

Not being difficult, just a query

brisnick

i think you have to have 3 years residency in the LEA (local education authority) for which you apply. i know this will have changed since i went to uni, as we applied for a grant also.

andrew63

Thanks all - esp. Jeremy

Andrew

lauralollipop

Hi Andrew

Just read your post and my advice to any school leaver would be to work for a year or 2 before going to uni anyway!

A lot of new graduates find it hard to get work after they graduate as they have no "work experience". Also it gives an insight into the real world of work, which should make choosing the right course more easier. The other plus option is that she can asve up some money for when she is at uni, think that working for a year is not a bad idea at all.

Good luck whatever you decide

Laura
x

seang

Yes. You only pay on a unit by unit bases (that equals your yearly fee). Once you have citizenship (actually have to have it at time when fees are due ) you can then either
a) Pay fee's up front and get a 25% discount
or
b)defer payments till the student gets a job and the money will be paid off over time - direct from wages.

steandleigh

Hi Andrew,

sounds like your daughter will be in the same boat as me...

I am awaiting first round UNI offers at the moment (they come out this Thursday - eek!!! ) and I've been here for 16 months - so I am not eligible for any kind of HECS or AUSTUDY.

I'll have to pay for my first and second years fees up front - then if I can get citizenship in September 2007, hopefully I'll be able to defer my fees for my 3rd and 4th years (2008 and 2009).

It might be a good idea for your daughter to take a year or two out before going to UNI - I did my GCSES and A Levels and then had 12 years out - hence why I'm going back at the age of 30!!! :scared: (I'm not suggesting for a minute she takes 12 yrs out, BTW!!!)

But, some time out can be good - it's hard to know what you'd like to do for the rest of your life when you're only 18. She could get some work and life experience, mature a little and have a really good think about what she's like to do with the rest of her life.

Good luck and all the best. x