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been on a 2 year working holiday visa in Australia - will student finance reject me?

so I left the UK in 2017 to go travel and work in Australia on a working holiday visa - i will be coming back in september and have gotten on to an access to nursing course and need student finance to cover it - however i'm worried i'll be rejected for it because I've lived out of the country for two years?

Reply 1

999tigger

Original post by Viviling

Note there is a difference between advanced learner loan description which is used for
FE funding including access courses and
have been living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for 3 years before starting your course

HE funding student loans which is used for degrees.
you normally live in England

The question becomes does live mean resident and ordinarily resident. If it does and I believe it does then you are golden as UKcisa says as below and that includes temporary absence. If it means must be physically there for all 3 years then theres an issue.

Ukicsa says

You are ordinarily resident in the relevant residence area (which depends on the category and its qualifying conditions) if you have habitually, normally and lawfully resided in that area from choice. Temporary absences from the residence area should be ignored and therefore would not stop you being ordinarily resident.......

If you can demonstrate that you have not been ordinarily resident in the relevant residence area only because you, or a family member, were temporarily working outside the relevant residence area, you will be treated as though you have been ordinarily resident there.

I would trust UKCISA over the government page and believe living = ordinary residence as it does with HE loans.

As this has been repped by SFE, then my first instinct (and how I have always advised on this) was correct and I was being overly suspicious on the unhelpful wording difference between the ALL description and SFE HE loans. Residence is a very tricky area, so it was correct for me to be cautious and double check. It wouldnt have been needed for HE loans which are the most common.
In this case I use UKcisa, which imo is the expert source of what the wordings mean and it directed me towards what I expected, which is more technical and precise tha the explanation on the government website. The ALL site description should change.

In any event you are fine and should follow the advice further down. Keep or collect supporting documents.
Advanced Learner Loan

Telephone: 0300 100 0619

Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 4pm

Advanced Learner Loan
PO Box 302
Darlington DL1 9NQ

You should be fine as long as you emphasise the fact it was temporary and you retained your UK residence.

1. WHV by its nature is time limited.
2. You kept a UK address, bank account and other connections?
3. You had your return airline ticket or bought one a long time ago?
4. Temp work contracts in OZ.
5. You spent your time travelling around , which emphasises the holiday aspect and lack of permanence.

Emphasise temp in Oz and Enduring links with UK.