The Student Room Group

Need help regarding financing as an international student!

Righto, so I'm a student from Lebanon hoping to apply to Scotland for law. My problem is funding. I am not eligible for funding through SAAS and have to pay
£16,000 on tuition fees a year, which I don't reckon I can cough up without a loan or financial aid. So the question is: what is the best way to finance my education considering I am an international student? If any of this might be relevant, I have an Irish half brother and am working on obtaining an italian passport within the next few months. Any help whatsoever would be greatly appreciated.
Reply 1
Original post by .HatfulOfHollow.
Righto, so I'm a student from Lebanon hoping to apply to Scotland for law. My problem is funding. I am not eligible for funding through SAAS and have to pay
£16,000 on tuition fees a year, which I don't reckon I can cough up without a loan or financial aid. So the question is: what is the best way to finance my education considering I am an international student? If any of this might be relevant, I have an Irish half brother and am working on obtaining an italian passport within the next few months. Any help whatsoever would be greatly appreciated.


No easy answers, I'm afraid.

Entitlement to Student Finance in the UK in your situation is based on your length of residency. Having an Irish relative or an Italian passport will have no immediate effect.

Under the current rules, if you live in the EU for three full years, you will pay UK/Home tuition fees and you will be able to get a Tuition Fee Loan from Student Finance in the UK. SAAS specify that you also have to be an EU national, so your Italian passport will then be critical: http://www.saas.gov.uk/full_time/ug/eu/eligibility.htm
If you wanted a Maintenance Loan to help with living costs, you would have to live in the UK for five full years before you qualify.

However, that's under current rules. It seems likely that the UK will be leaving the EU in the next five years, so there are no guarantees at all. The UK government have confirmed that whatever happens, Student Finance rules for EU residents will remain the same for anyone starting uni in 2017/18, but all bets are off after that. A further complication is that Scotland seems likely to seek independent EU membership, so it could be that the SAAS decides to treat overseas/EU students differently to SFE in future.
Original post by Klix88
No easy answers, I'm afraid.

Entitlement to Student Finance in the UK in your situation is based on your length of residency. Having an Irish relative or an Italian passport will have no immediate effect.

Under the current rules, if you live in the EU for three full years, you will pay UK/Home tuition fees and you will be able to get a Tuition Fee Loan from Student Finance in the UK. SAAS specify that you also have to be an EU national, so your Italian passport will then be critical: http://www.saas.gov.uk/full_time/ug/eu/eligibility.htm
If you wanted a Maintenance Loan to help with living costs, you would have to live in the UK for five full years before you qualify.

However, that's under current rules. It seems likely that the UK will be leaving the EU in the next five years, so there are no guarantees at all. The UK government have confirmed that whatever happens, Student Finance rules for EU residents will remain the same for anyone starting uni in 2017/18, but all bets are off after that. A further complication is that Scotland seems likely to seek independent EU membership, so it could be that the SAAS decides to treat overseas/EU students differently to SFE in future.


It's also 5 years now for EU students
Original post by .HatfulOfHollow.
Righto, so I'm a student from Lebanon hoping to apply to Scotland for law. My problem is funding. I am not eligible for funding through SAAS and have to pay
£16,000 on tuition fees a year, which I don't reckon I can cough up without a loan or financial aid. So the question is: what is the best way to finance my education considering I am an international student? If any of this might be relevant, I have an Irish half brother and am working on obtaining an italian passport within the next few months. Any help whatsoever would be greatly appreciated.


The only way you can get any funding from the UK government is if you get an Italian passport and then get a job in the UK. Then you could claim a maintainance loan & bursary from SAAS as a migrant worker providing you kept up your job throughout your course.

Some universities may offer the odd bursary to international students with an exceptional academic record but otherwise you'll need to look to your home country for funding.

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