canadaeh

Think hard about this as University in the UK might be extremely expensive for you, even though you’re and EU citizen, you would most likely be treated as an International Student as you haven’t lived in the EU for the past 3 years. Which can mean fees of over 10,000 pounds a years.

Plenty of threads about it. You are ok for Uni in the rest of Europe (mostly free or small fee) but Ireland and the UK have ridiculous rules that cause even their own citizens to be treated like foreigners.

Why not transfer to another Uni in Australia, in Sydney or Melbourne? Or even look at other places in Europe. And in regards to your situation, I know exactly how you feel.

Good luck.

sarahburns

Oo good thing you brought this up as I came across that 3 year rule a while ago. Now, I initially went off to Australia in late March 2008 for my backpacking trip, arrived back in Germany in February 2009. Then left again for Australia in late May 2009. Does that really mean I'd have to pay international student fees? Pretty sure my main residential address would be in Germany as it is my "long-term base"? But I don't know... any thoughts on that?

Thanks!

canadaeh

I think you’d have to pay the international fees, for the UK, maybe not for Ireland.

The UK rule is you have to have lived within the EU for the 3 years prior to your application to University (so you wouldn’t fit that).

The rule in Ireland is you have to have lived in the EU for 3 out of the past 5 years (so you would fit that).

At the end of the day you can always ask the University, as they can make the decision themselves.

But if I was you, I’d look at other EU Universities, no other EU country has that rule.

If you are interested, this site lets you look up all degrees available in the EU (Including UK and Ireland). Also remember that many of the EU countries offer lots of degrees with English as the language of instruction.

http://www.bachelorsportal.eu/

Good luck.

sarahburns

Wait now, wouldn't that rule mean that any British teenager who left school after completing their A-Levels to go around the world, so say doing a gap-year, would have to pay international student fees in the UK? Surely, that can't be true?
I just did some more research on this and read something about "temporarily leaving the UK/Europe". I never applied for Permanent Residence in Australia, my permanent residence has always been Germany. I first got granted a working holiday visa, limited to one year and am now on a student visa, limited until 2013 when I am supposed to finish my University here. Even though, immigration would take my visa away if I failed any units or quit Uni obviously. So, from what I understood so far as long as I can provide things like stamps in my passport which show that I haven't been in Australia for 3 years at a time, and never got granted PR I think I should be fine?
Let me know what you think
I will also contact the universities, though.

thank you!

moneypenny20

If their gap year lasted three years then yes they'd have to pay Intl fees. If the gap year was a year then no they wouldn't.

sarahburns

hmm i still dont quite get it... canadaeh said:
The UK rule is you have to have lived within the EU for the 3 years prior to your application to University (so you wouldn’t fit that).

so that would mean that someone even just taking one year off as a gap year and going overseas would have to pay international fees.

canadaeh

That has happened to some people who have gone on the 1 and 2 year working holiday visas, but a lot of the time it gets waived as their whole resident is still in the UK, with family, bank accounts etc etc.

And it’s clearly a backpacking holiday and not really living here, they haven’t “settled”. You see the UK might see you as settled; you are studying here, a full degree and have been here for a few years.

Even if you look at the fee section on the British Council site (it doesn’t even seem to include other EU citizens now).

This is what it says:

UK Fee paying status

To be eligible for the 'home' or UK fee-paying status, you must have a 'relevant connection' to the UK. Normally this means:

• you have to be an EU passport holder
• you have to be resident in the UK for the three years immediately prior to starting your course
• studying for an undergraduate degree does not count towards the three-year residency rule if you are planning to go on to study for a postgraduate degree.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/au-edu...ergraduate.htm

It does sound ridiculous, and it is ridiculous. I’m a British Citizen – My parents have worked and paid into the system there, and I have worked and paid into the system there, yet I’d still have to pay international fees. Yet I can go to Denmark and get my degree for free! It’s just a silly system.

Your best option is really to contact the individual university as some are not as strict as others.

quoll

One of my work colleagues emigrated to Wales last month and her daughter also has German citizenship. I believe that she has been accepted into a Welsh university without paying international fees - she had a German address listed as her normal place of residence (think there was a bit of a swifty going on there as she only finished year 12 here a couple of years ago but then had a gap year in Germany with grandparents and part of a year in UK on work experience). My colleague assures me that universities have the capacity to waive fees if there are reasonable circumstances but not necessarily something I would bank on.

77hil

Relative of mine moved back to the UK with husband and two kids. After two months both have decided that they want to return to Australia. Job market in UK is very tough and will get tougher. Relative is a teacher and still has not been successful in getting a job. Also now with the bad exchange rate they fear that they cannot afford to move back to Oz.

A long two to three or even six month trip is definitely recommended.