Jarvis.Wall

Hello!

I currently live in Ottawa, Canada and am 20 years old, I'm not really 'from' anywhere as I spent the first 8 years of my life moving around the U.K. and then Canada due to my father's postings with the R.A.F.

My dad left the military as my parents decided to stay in Canada and we've been here ever since and I haven't been to any school for longer than two years - but that's a different story. The last two years I was at University of Toronto, I met my girlfriend, who was there for uni from the U.K. - there are certain things about Canada that irritate both of us and I always sort of wanted to go back but now I'm really set on it.

My question is derived from a conversation I had with her about university loans - although I'm a british citizen I'm not 'ordinarily residing' there (meaning at least 3 years living in UK) and so probably wouldn't be granted one. It says theres and exception with military postings but it's been a while since my dad's been in it. They have an appeal process, is it worth going through with that? Has anyone here been in a similar situation? Is there any support for the unwillingly extradited or am I out of luck / too much of a niche market?

The prospect of moving back is very daunting and I fear I will never go through with it due to the anxiety it is giving me! Any advice anyone might have would be appreciated as I'm not even sure of where to start.

Anyway thanks

Mummy in the foothills

It's worth a try, go for it.

holly_1948

Consider working in the UK and doing Open University at the same time.

A great option if you can land a halfway decent job. After three years you can enter full time university on the same basis as uncomplicated people (England and Scotland are different of course) provided you have not accepted an OU baccalaureate degree. Even if you have completed 98% of the requirements and just need to wrap it up.

Frankly, doing university at age 23 instead of 20 allows you to gain the maturity to make a much better major life decision.

Or you could join the RAF.

ldollard

How does the university even know you haven't previously lived in the UK for 3 years. Its not like you are taking grants, but a loan you have to pay back?

holly_1948

First you are talking about England and Wales, not UK.
Second, most people use a foreign address when they first write or apply.
Third using foreign qualifications rather than A levels etc for entry is a dead giveaway.
Fourth, doubts being raised they will asked directly. The penalties for lying are draconian.

Nah, come, get a job, do the OU. It's the very adult, very grown up, very British thing to do. Save the wild partying for later.

Novocastrian

But you don't apply to the University, you apply to the government (indirectly).
As holly said, someone is rather likely to notice if you graduated high school (or whatever) abroad.

The OP is 20. Do you think it won't raise an eyebrow if he graduated in Ottawa?

ldollard

True, what if you graduated from a British school?

Novocastrian

He didn't. But if he had I agree he might get away with it.

Depends what quals he had from the UK.

I'm well out of touch with the vernacular but in the language of my time, if he had O levels and A levels in the UK he'd have the three year residency sorted anyway.

ElizabethK

Both my children (now 22 & 23) went to Uni in Liverpool having spent their school years in USA.
We had to pay full international fees for them and tried our hardest to overturn the rulings of the university in the appeal process claiming we still owned property, had bank accounts and paid taxes in UK.
They would not budge an inch and we paid full for both son and daughter

You said your Dad has been out of the RAF for a while now, so I'm afraid it's unlikely any uni will take you in as a British citizen and allow you to pay domestic rates

Sally Redux

So you've already done 2 years of uni? Wouldn't it be better to finish there?

Novocastrian

Obviously. Not that a bachelors from any Canadian Uni is worth shit these days, but if he's not entirely thick, he could then apply for Grad School in the UK.

penguinsix

A general suggestion...

Spend some time in the UK "living" not just "remembering". The best of your memories, or the best hopes you have of a life in the UK will always trounce the worst bits of the reality you are currently experiencing in Canada.

Head over for a few months to be living day-to-day with your girlfriend. Experience the things that will annoy you about living there firsthand, and see if the gal is the one you really want to spend some time with.

After six months or so, then start to think about university. Is it the right time financially to take plunge, is what you though life in the UK would be like matching up to the reality you are experiencing?

One of the first rules of being an expat is "try before buy" if at all possible. Visit a place for a recon trip if possible before moving over, rent an apartment instead of buying a house until you get settled, etc. Before taking this plunge, see if you can get over for a bit to make sure it's really a good fit.

Good luck.

dunroving

Being in the UK for the sole purpose of a full-time education does not contribute to fulfilling the 3-year residency rule.

WEBlue

Most unis have staff that look over all the application materials for each potential student with an eye to detecting whether the student has spent the previous three years in the country for the proper reason. Many students are asked to provide copies of their passports as further evidence of their whereabouts during the time.

It's not a good idea to try to fool the uni. At the very least one will undoubtedly lose any chance of a place there.

Novocastrian

I see your point, but I was assuming the parents would have been there too.

Not relevant to the OP in any case.