The Student Room Group

Home fees or international fees -3 year rule

Hi,
My son was born outside U.K. and is British passport.
He has never lived in U.K., but regularly visited.

In two or three years he may go to university or college in the U.K..

He is hoping to do A levels and then a gap year...as we are moving to the U.K. as soon as possible..

With three years residency in the U.K. using the above route, can he qualify for home fees, as opposed to international fees?

He needs to be resident minimum three years...but does a gap year count as part of this?

Thanks for anyone’s assistance.
Original post by Expatcominghome
Hi,
My son was born outside U.K. and is British passport.
He has never lived in U.K., but regularly visited.

In two or three years he may go to university or college in the U.K..

He is hoping to do A levels and then a gap year...as we are moving to the U.K. as soon as possible..

With three years residency in the U.K. using the above route, can he qualify for home fees, as opposed to international fees?

He needs to be resident minimum three years...but does a gap year count as part of this?

Thanks for anyone’s assistance.

if you can proof that you are ordinarly resident in the UK it will be fine. This means proofs that you have a home, pay bills, accounts, flight tickets etc...
Original post by Expatcominghome
Hi,
My son was born outside U.K. and is British passport.
He has never lived in U.K., but regularly visited.

In two or three years he may go to university or college in the U.K..

He is hoping to do A levels and then a gap year...as we are moving to the U.K. as soon as possible..

With three years residency in the U.K. using the above route, can he qualify for home fees, as opposed to international fees?

He needs to be resident minimum three years...but does a gap year count as part of this?

Thanks for anyone’s assistance.

Education is free up to 18.
If he wants to do A levels after that then he has issues because its increasingly difficult to do them at college.
He can pay to study for an online course as a private candidate.
The gap year is fine as long as he continues to live in the UK.
If and when he has established the three years residency, then he will qualify for home fees. Its important to have documentation.
Original post by Expatcominghome
Hi,
My son was born outside U.K. and is British passport.
He has never lived in U.K., but regularly visited.

In two or three years he may go to university or college in the U.K..

He is hoping to do A levels and then a gap year...as we are moving to the U.K. as soon as possible..

With three years residency in the U.K. using the above route, can he qualify for home fees, as opposed to international fees?

He needs to be resident minimum three years...but does a gap year count as part of this?

Thanks for anyone’s assistance.

On another thread you mention that you might not be in the country till January. Term starts in September so you need to watch that - if you did find a school prepared to take him late and catch up in A levels then he would need to do 2 gap years to get the full 3 years residency. It is 3 full calendar years not school years so he needs to be resident at the beginning of September. I refer back to my earlier comment on the other thread that boarding school might be the answer if the whole family can't relocate by the start of September.
If he moves solely for the purpose of education then that will not be classed as ordinary residency in the UK - so boarding school wouldn’t change his ordinary residency. He may need to take 2 gap years to meet the requirements if he can’t prove the move was for reasons other than education
Original post by PQ
If he moves solely for the purpose of education then that will not be classed as ordinary residency in the UK - so boarding school wouldn’t change his ordinary residency. He may need to take 2 gap years to meet the requirements if he can’t prove the move was for reasons other than education

Interesting- I didn't know that. So they need to get over here in the next month or accept that 2nd gap year to qualify for home fees.
All very helpful responses.
Where is the three year rule actually written on an official website?
Not doing two gap years.
Perhaps a HE option in another country, due to exorbitant U.K. costs...
My son doesn’t even know what he wants to do yet!
Thanks everyone....
Original post by Expatcominghome
All very helpful responses.
Where is the three year rule actually written on an official website?
Not doing two gap years.
Perhaps a HE option in another country, due to exorbitant U.K. costs...
My son doesn’t even know what he wants to do yet!
Thanks everyone....

Look at the ukcisa website. It summarises the legislation and the case law behind it. They have an advice line that is excellent (but very busy).

If he doesn’t know what he wants to study then he may end up taking a second gap year anyway:smile:
Original post by ReadingMum
Interesting- I didn't know that. So they need to get over here in the next month or accept that 2nd gap year to qualify for home fees.

Pretty much.

The exception for education purposes is to prevent wealthy families from sending their children to boarding school in the uk just to gain free university funding.
Original post by Expatcominghome
Hi,
My son was born outside U.K. and is British passport.
He has never lived in U.K., but regularly visited.

In two or three years he may go to university or college in the U.K..

He is hoping to do A levels and then a gap year...as we are moving to the U.K. as soon as possible..

With three years residency in the U.K. using the above route, can he qualify for home fees, as opposed to international fees?

He needs to be resident minimum three years...but does a gap year count as part of this?

Thanks for anyone’s assistance.


My two sisters came to the UK and only did 2 years of A levels and still got student loans and home fees in 2014 and 2016 respectively even though they were one year off 🤷🏽*♂️ they had NI numbers, we had a little house, some bills too though. They got free college as wel
My son has no NI number...and our house rented and never yet lived in......bought next to a good school.....
Original post by N. Auditoré
My two sisters came to the UK and only did 2 years of A levels and still got student loans and home fees in 2014 and 2016 respectively even though they were one year off 🤷🏽*♂️ they had NI numbers, we had a little house, some bills too though. They got free college as wel


Hi, did they state on the form they only been in UK 2 years

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