merciacanuk

just found out that if you have been away from the uk for more than 3 years you are a "foriegner" in the eyes of the British government and will be hit with overseas status if you apply for university. This means that the fees are enormous. By the way if you come from bulgaria or Kosovo the fees are the same as a "home" student! Nice bit of discrimination from our own!!!!

dunroving

The fees are enormous for home students these days also, just not as enormous as international student fees (there is no "foreigner" student classification). EU students pay home fees due to a reciprocal agreement (UK students pay home fees at EU universities) so that is reasonable.

luvwelly

I am pro- EU but I'd love to see the figures. I highly suspect many more 'other EU' people use UK Universities than UK citizens use European ones, simply because English is a world language.
Fee-wise the whole thing seems to have turned into something of a racket as per that TV series 'A most peculiar practice' starring Peter Davidson (pre-Dr Who I think).

dunroving

I'd be interested to know too - though I think EU country home fees are less than UK home fees, so I wouldn't be surprised if the opposite pattern is true.

There has been a lot in the media lately about UK students looking to Europe for higher education because it is a lot cheaper (and many of them teach predominantly in English!)

We have never had one EU student in our program in the 7 years I have been here (so, about of 400+ students) - of course, that may not be true of other programs or universities in the UK. Highly interesting, though, because EU students can study for FREE (home fees) in Scotland (but the English can't)!

Sue

As a matter of interest, do you know what happens if a Scottish student attends university in the UK with regards to tuition fees?

dunroving

Scotland is in the UK. [I think I confounded the issue in my own email ...]

But seriously, a Scottish student attending an English university would have to pay English fees, as far as I know.

EU law states that a student from a member country (country X) attending university in another member country (country Y) must be treated the same as students from within the other member country (country Y).

So, UK students attending university in France must be charged French student fees. And French students attending university in the UK must be charged UK student fees.

Member EU countries may not prejudicially charge students differently from their "own" students. However, within an EU country, different regions can do what the heck they want to each other's students - so Scotland don't have to treat English students the same as Scottish students, and vice versa.

I think the "regions" must be politically devolved as far as education is concerned - so Kent couldn't treat students from Essex differently from Kent students, for example, because Kent and Essex aren't politically devolved as far as education decisions are concerned.

Confusing, huh?

rebs

Fees are payable to the institution - the loan is from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland.

http://www.thecompleteuniversityguid...ty-in-england/

If you are domiciled in Scotland, I guess there would have to be a pretty compelling reason to study in England...

dunroving

... like wanting to learn English?

[Sorry, dreadfully unfunny but it's been one of those days]

rebs

I moved from England to the North East of Scotland when I was 13 and went to school in Peterhead - I think it was probably about 2 years before I could reliably understand everything that was said to me....

Sue

I meant England, got myself all confused

Sue

Yep absolutely.

I suppose I wondered about Scottish students in the UK, as I was sure I had read somewhere that if students who are normally resident in Wales but attended university in England then they would only have to pay the reduced rate, but I may have got that wrong. It was last year that I had read it and my memory is fading fast every year I age

rebs

No, I think you are right - England, Wales & Scotland all treat their students differently... and goodness knows about Northern Ireland...

not2old

from you know where as an addition to post#7

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Ed...financial-help

Q&A

SCOTS STUDENT STUDYING IN ENGLAND
What do I have to pay?

Eligible Scottish domiciled students wishing to study outwith Scotland, at an institution elsewhere in the UK, are entitled to a non- income-assessed loan of up to £9,000 a year towards the cost of their tuition fees.

Can I get financial help?

Same as Scot student studying in Scotland.

dunroving

Yes, I think you are correct. I believe the Welsh Assembly will pay Welsh students a bursary equivalent to the same they would get in Wales. (Effectively, I think in Wales students pay less via a "fee reduction" from the Welsh Assembly - sort of a juggling the books thing). Anyway, I am pretty sure that if a Welsh student studies in England they receive the same reduction via a payment from the Welsh Assembly towards their English fees.

I'm pretty Sure that the Scottish Government doesn't do anything similar.

Wish they would just devolve and be done with it, it would make things a lot simpler.

dunroving

"Loans" and "fees" are different. A Scottish student studying in England may be eligible for student loans from the Scottish Government, but they would have to pay fees to the English university (unlike if they studied in Scotland).

Several of our students get student loans from the Scottish Government - but they don't pay fees.