richardfoley

My daughter is British, was born in the UK and went to school in the UK, and now is trying to go to drama school in the UK. This means getting a LOAN to pay for the fees, (not a grant, a loan), keeping in mind the course fees have just tripled.

We've been living the last several years in the EU (Germany), and while here, she tried to apply for a loan in advance for the course she has been accept
ed on in London. The loan authorities said there was no problem, but she must apply when she has a permanent UK address. She moved to the UK, got a flat, then got a job, and applied again. The loan authorities said there was no problem, but she must apply at a later date, approx. 4 weeks before the course starts.

Now, we have received notice to pay the outstanding fees, shortly before the course starts. My daughter has now applied again to the loan authorities in the UK, but this time she has been informed she does NOT qualify for a loan, as she has been living in the EU for the last several years!

WTF is wrong with this country?!

rebs

When you say 'loan authorities' do you mean the Student Loans Company? - http://www.slc.co.uk/ or is this some other funding source?

If it is the SLC, it sounds like a mistake has been made along the way as students that have been resident in the EU should be treated in the same way as UK based.

Hope you are able to sort it out

RICH

Pay the fees. What do you want free education?

brissybee

I think it's pretty clear... they are willing to pay for the education. They simply want a loan to help out... as many others are entitled to.

mayhemuk

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Educatio...rted/DG_171574
Seems to be a good starting point for checking this out.
Also has a link to SFE.
So long as the course and institution are appropriate.....

Editha

Can I suggest your daughter contacts her MP. As a resident, she certainly has a vote, and this is the kind of thing an MP can sort out quite quickly.

Mummy in the foothills

My son starts college in UK in September, he too has no access to the loans and will also be paying international fees.
You can't access the loans unless you have been resident in UK for three years prior to the start of the course. It's just one of those things we have to deal with having lived abroad. At least she will get home fees having lived in EU.
She should do a search for some grants and bursaries.

Editha

The poster is saying that her daughter has been refused a loan for the fees. The guidance on the directgov website says quite clearly that as an EU student she is entitled to a loan for the fees, so it looks as if a mistake has been made.

rebs

That's interesting Mummy - I had not thought about it like that - so you are eligible for the home fees if you have been resident within the EU, but not to pay for the tuition fees via the student loans.
I had assumed that if you were assessed as eligible for home fees, you would be able to use the student loans company like everyone else.

tribec

did you get any funding from the US? Or is it all self funded?

Mummy in the foothills

Self funding
Good job we are savers, this will dent or destroy the savings.

We had read you have to live in UK for 3 years for the loans to cover fees too, not just for home rates. So EU students can get government loans to cover fees?
I'm going to have my son apply anyway seeing he isn't NonEU/EU student he's British student but paying international fees due to living in US.

bourbon-biscuit

I have a chum here in NZ who is a citizen of an EU country but her kids and husband are UK citizens, though all have lived out here for years. I was bemoaning the lack of access to UK uni loans for fees for my kids and she told me that they will be getting their kids passports for her home country so they can go to UK unis as domestic students straight from NZ and get the loans too.

Is she right? If so, how is that fair?!

dunroving

I would assume the 3-year residency rule appplies to any citizens of EU countries, not just citizens of the UK.

The forms I had to complete for the student I helped out last year asked about residency over the previous 3 years, with addresses and reason for living there (living in the UK solely for education purposes doesn't count towards establishing the residency requirement).

Assuming all UK universities use similar forms, I don't see how your friend's children will be able to bypass the rules just by getting an EU country passport.

formula

No.

http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/inf...rt_england.php

formula

Have you thought about her going to a university in Scotland? She should be able to get her tution fees for free there, as you have been living in another EU country for years.