psb182

been away from the UK a long time but want to go back this year......have a daughter college age and she would want to go........we are all British citizens with British passports......would she have to pay international rates or UK rates....any help greatly appreciated

JAJ

Possibly international rates as this is based on residence not citizenship (in the UK at least) - take a look at the website of a few UK universities and check this specifically.

Or look at the UCAS website - http://www.ucas.ac.uk


Jeremy

psb182

can't find any info on "residency" or how long you have to be a resident in order to qualify for the UK rates

JAJ

Did you look at any individual university websites? - these should have information.


Jeremy

Bob

Also depends on where you live, some LEA's are more flexible, apparantly...
but chance are, you need to be resident for at least 2 years in the UK before LEA will pick up the tab, so uni fees' could be between £6K-16K a year, depending on subject...such as labs v classes type subject.

Merlot

When I looked at Nursing Degrees at Uni last year I think I had to be resident in England for 3 years, but please do not quote me. Things change and I am sure individual circumstances are all different.

Maybe e-mail a couple of possible colleges or uni's as many must get international students.

I know in Australia I was unable to go on a TAFE course at the same $$ price as locals until I was a permanent resident (1 year working holiday visa, 2 years temp spouse visa), so it was a 3 year wait otherwise I had to pay fees as an international student.

Best of luck
Merlot

psb182

what's a LEA?

Merlot

Local Education Authority

M

Bob

Like said, but they are the ones' that'll sponsor you, if your resident, and your on average earnings, basically, anything under £100K, they will sponsor you, that means, when you go to uni, whatever the course, if it's your first degree, they will pay the fee, depending on how much you are making, you might have to pay the first £3K a year of the course, but if you ain't got much money, they'll even pay that.....as opposed you you paying £16K a year.

Though, not sure what the rules are on mature students, anyone over 26, also, don't have a clue what they'll do if it ain't your first degree through an LEA...

But they are the one's you need to speak to, depending on where you live, you'll find info on local country council websites, most uni's will charge you whatever they want being a none resident, but it's up to the LEA if they'll sponsor you or not that would make the difference in what you actually pay out.

Hilden

We are in a similar situation, our eldest son is 16 and we are looking at the right time to return to the UK in order for him to go to University. We still have our house in the UK but are not clear on exactly what the residency restrictions are. It is unlikely we can get back before he graduates from High School but don't want to be stuck with international fees either - it isn't easy juggling these international moves with teenage children!

Bob

best bet would be to contact the "local" LEA because you'll have to apply for sponsorship through them anyway if you want them to sponsor you...ie not pay all the fee's on your own, regardless of residence requirements that the uni will have for fee's...there mostly really helpful, but do think a head of time about it, start asking now...

Elvira

We actually loooked into this 4 years ago before we left the UK. The information I got was that it is not the LEA who decides, but the individual university. At the time, we were quoted around 11-12 K for international student fees.

I spoke to the Registrar of one of the colleges of Imperial College, but he was very non-commital. The words 'grey area' and 'it depends' and 'there is some flexibility' were mentioned, but ordinarily you would have to have been resident for at least two years to qualify for UK-based fees. I got the impression that the rigidity with which this rule is adhered to also varies from university to university, and from department to department. Indeed, he hinted that 'more desperate' universities/departments would be more inclined to bend the rules... Needless to say, IC isn't one of those (although he, too, did not rule out that they might accept one of my sons as a UK students).

I would guess that universities that do not get a lot of international students might also be keen to have your daughter to add some 'international flavour', and thus might prove more flexible.

But I would call a few registrars and suss them out. Please be sure to report back what you manage to find out - I am sure this topic will be of interest to a lot of people here (myself included!).

Bob

Yeah, the uni decides....but, it's up to the LEA whether or not they'll sponsor you or not, so really, it's up to them whether you pay the full whack, £3K, or nothing at all....

snorkmaiden

I looked into this when we first moved here. My daughter is adamant she wants to go to Uni in the UK and so I e-mailed one of the universities she was interested in. (Liverpool)

This is the reply I got:


I understand your reasons for making this enquiry now. In one sense it is
premature (not least as the regulatory position could change during the
next three years) and clearly I cannot give a definite classification which
would bind the University, so far in advance. However, I am happy to
provide guidance based on the current regulatory framework, the Education
(Fees and Awards) Regulations 1997.

Under those regulations, an applicant must satisfy three basic criteria to
be eligible to pay fees at the Home (UK) rate:

1) the applicant must have 'settled' status in the UK within the meaning of
the Immigration Act 1971 on his or her relevant date (see below). In
practice, this means that the applicant must have NO restrictions on their
stay in the UK. British Citizenship, Right of Abode and Indefinite Leave
to Remain in the UK are examples of settled status. Clearly as a British
Citizen, your daughter would satisfy this criterion.

2) the applicant must have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least
the three year period preceding the relevant date.

3) no part of the qualifying period of ordinary residence should have been
wholly or mainly for the purposes of receiving full-time education.

The relevant date is the 1st September, 1st January or 1st April closest to
the beginning of the first term of the applicant's course. For September
2003 entrants, the relevant date will be 1st September 2003.

British nationals who have lived outside the UK or EEA for the qualifying
period will be classified as 'overseas' students and pay the full,
overseas-rate fee. It is possible to make exceptions where absence from
the UK has been due to temporary work contracts outside the UK or EEA,
provided that this can be verified with suitable written evidence.

From what you say, your husband's employment position in Texas is not a
fixed term or temporary one but a permanent one, so it appears that the
family has moved permanently to the USA. In view of this, it would not
appear to be possible for your daughter to meet the 'ordinary residence' criterion.
Even if, for example, she were sent back to the UK to boarding school, that
residence would be mainly for educational reasons and hence would not
qualify.

Assuming that the circumstances do not change, it is therefore most likely
that we would have to classify her as an 'overseas' student for fees
purposes. Although each University to which she applied would consider her
case independently, they all use the same regulatory framework and would
probably reach the same decision.

psb182

your a very helpfull guy Bob.....I pressed the karma button but don't know if it registered.....not sure how it works actually.....cheers