Postgraduate loan - undergraduate overseas

I am a British national and so is my daughter. She was educated up to 18 in the UK but she went overseas for her undergraduate degree financed mainly by scholarship. She will soon be completing her degree and returning home to the UK. She is is thinking of taking a masters in the UK but is she eligible for UK postgrad finance?

My simple reading is that probably not as she has been studying overseas for the last three years. Is this correct? If so it seems completely bonkers. She would have been eligible for undergrad finance at 18 but chose to go elsewhere and not avail herself of that finance and she is as British as anybody else. Seems like she is being penalised for choosing study overseas. Please tell me I'm wrong....

Hi there,

That is correct. In order to be eligible UK nationals need to have been an ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for three years immediately before the first day of the first AY of the course.

Just to confirm any residency exceptions, can you advise where she has been living for the past 3 years? Thanks, Jason

She has been studying in Japan. Not sure what ordinary resident means but she thinks she is still resident in UK at home but just been to Japan to study and back in several holidays. So unfair if this bars her from postgrad finance. Really dumb rule.

Hi there,

UK,nationals who have been outside of the EU/EEA on a temporary break may be eligible for funding if they can provide evidence to show the absence was of a temporary nature and have returned prior to the first day of the first academic year. The student would need to send evidence to prove the time outside the UK was temporary and the team will review this and confirm if it's acceptable or not.

Thanks,
Claire

Thank you. That sounds positive and provide a chink of light.