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I am a UK National living abroad, thinking about applying for 2011 entry through UCAS

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Reply 20
Avatar for jennie_lin
jennie_lin
OP
Ok, um, I'm now super confused.

If I'm applying as an "International" will that mean being an international student? I'm not a Taiwanese citizen, I just live here, on a volunteer visa.

I mean, the fees are astronomically different. This doesn't seem to be making a lot of sense at the moment, and it's getting to the point where I'm having to fill the forms in and make decisions about what to put. The first thing UCAS asked me when I first logged in to Apply was "Do you live outside the United Kingdom?". I haven't said anything yet, and I'm wanting advice about what they might assume about me if I answer either "Yes" or "No".
Reply 21
Avatar for Minerva
Minerva
17
Original post by jennie_lin
Ok, um, I'm now super confused.

If I'm applying as an "International" will that mean being an international student? I'm not a Taiwanese citizen, I just live here, on a volunteer visa.

I mean, the fees are astronomically different. This doesn't seem to be making a lot of sense at the moment, and it's getting to the point where I'm having to fill the forms in and make decisions about what to put. The first thing UCAS asked me when I first logged in to Apply was "Do you live outside the United Kingdom?". I haven't said anything yet, and I'm wanting advice about what they might assume about me if I answer either "Yes" or "No".
The position was explained to you by cpj1987 months ago and so far as I am aware it has not changed. That you are a UK citizen and entitled to live here does not make you automatically eligible for Home fees unless you are actually doing so, which it is clear you are not.

If you are applying this year, you urgently need to establish whether Student Finance will accept your residence in Taiwan on a volunteer visa as evidence of a 'temporary' absence. If they do, then you will need them to advise you on the correct way of completing your UCAS application in this respect. You also need to be aware that if you apply as an international and then switch classification to home student, any offer/s you have received could be withdrawn. If you apply as a home student, and it turns out you are not eligible, you will not only be asked to pay the higher fees, but also will not be eligible for loans. In that case, your only option (if you don't want to or can't pay these) will be to return to the UK to live for the required period before applying. In practice, that will be for two years before submitting your application, so that by the August before starting your course you will have been back for three full years.
Reply 22
Avatar for jennie_lin
jennie_lin
OP
Oh. my. gosh. This was NOT explained to me before I left to live here, I might have tried to go to university first. I mean, there's no way I'd be able to afford that.

Ok. A little stressed (read: a whole flipping lot). But thanks everyone for your help. I will just hope and pray they will accept me as a home student. I mean, I could just tell them I'm resident in the UK and hope it just sort of doesn't... come up?! Thoughts on that? (Yeah, I'm a bad person)

Else, try and get a job without it I guess. I have way too much to think about right now, it's a little overwhelming. I thought it would have been simpler than this.
Reply 23
Avatar for Minerva
Minerva
17
Original post by jennie_lin
Oh. my. gosh. This was NOT explained to me before I left to live here, I might have tried to go to university first. I mean, there's no way I'd be able to afford that.

Ok. A little stressed (read: a whole flipping lot). But thanks everyone for your help. I will just hope and pray they will accept me as a home student. I mean, I could just tell them I'm resident in the UK and hope it just sort of doesn't... come up?! Thoughts on that? (Yeah, I'm a bad person)

Else, try and get a job without it I guess. I have way too much to think about right now, it's a little overwhelming. I thought it would have been simpler than this.
You could, I suppose, but AFAIK it would be fraud and therefore a criminal offence if it came to light.

You need to clarify the position with Student Finance ASAP. That's the only way you're going to know where you stand and what your options are.
Reply 24
Avatar for Drongo
Drongo
2
My experience of who gets classified as a home student is from 2 years ago but from all I've read on this thread it seems the rules are the same. Don't get too stressed because you can be classed as "ordinarily resident" in the UK even if you haven't actually lived there in the relevant time period. If your permanent address is the UK one and you have no rights to be resident where you currently live beyond a temporary visa then you should be able to get your home status. I went to an international school and many of us got home status without having actually lived in the UK for the 3 years prior to study. Some were even in the bizarre situation of having some of their university choices classify them as international with others interpreting the same information differently and awarding home status. At first glance to me your situation seems to be a very strong case for home status.
Reply 25
Avatar for jennie_lin
jennie_lin
OP
Ok, I will contact Student Finance, and probably my choice universities, in the near future, I just wanted to see if anyone had been in this situation before and their experiences with it, before I went ahead.

Thanks everyone for your help.

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