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Will I be considered as a foreign student or as home student?

Hi, I live in a country in Asia because of my father's job but I am British-born. Will I be considered as a home student or international student at University? We've been visiting England every one or two years since my birth but never really got a chance to shift permanently again because of my father's job.
Original post by Notalextelles
Hi, I live in a country in Asia because of my father's job but I am British-born. Will I be considered as a home student or international student at University? We've been visiting England every one or two years since my birth but never really got a chance to shift permanently again because of my father's job.

As far as I know you have to have been living in the UK for the past 3 years (meaning more than half of each year for 3 years) or have proof that your time abroad was temporary, e.g. short term work contract or the like, to qualify as a home student...

But, don't take my answer as the truth, the best thing you can do is directly email the admissions departments of the universities that you are interested in.. tell them your circumstances and see what they say.

My feeling is that no, you won't qualify as a local student, because you haven't lived here recently, and your time abroad wasn't temporary.. but best check for the real answer.

(also, some universities don't check... If you have a british passport, a british adress, and an english sounding name, you may just get away with ticking local on the forms and that being that. That's what happened on my masters.. I do qualify for home fees, but my case isn't simple because I have lived abroad recently.. but they never checked or followed up after the initial application form. For my PHD they did check though, and I had to submit a load of evidence to prove my residency in the UK and the nature of my time abroad including flight tickets, contracts, documents proving my UK adress etc)
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by fallen_acorns
As far as I know you have to have been living in the UK for the past 3 years (meaning more than half of each year for 3 years) or have proof that your time abroad was temporary, e.g. short term work contract or the like, to qualify as a home student...

But, don't take my answer as the truth, the best thing you can do is directly email the admissions departments of the universities that you are interested in.. tell them your circumstances and see what they say.

My feeling is that no, you won't qualify as a local student, because you haven't lived here recently, and your time abroad wasn't temporary.. but best check for the real answer.

(also, some universities don't check... If you have a british passport, a british adress, and an english sounding name, you may just get away with ticking local on the forms and that being that. That's what happened on my masters.. I do qualify for home fees, but my case isn't simple because I have lived abroad recently.. but they never checked or followed up after the initial application form. For my PHD they did check though, and I had to submit a load of evidence to prove my residency in the UK and the nature of my time abroad including flight tickets, contracts, documents proving my UK adress etc)

Aight, will do. Thanks.
Original post by Notalextelles
Hi, I live in a country in Asia because of my father's job but I am British-born. Will I be considered as a home student or international student at University? We've been visiting England every one or two years since my birth but never really got a chance to shift permanently again because of my father's job.

You have to live here In the U.K. for three years before the first day of your course. Regardless of holding a British passport you will be classed as an international student. I had the same problem.
As above, it isnt the passport that is important. Its where you and your parents have been living for the last 3 years. If you were at school overseas, you parents have long term jobs overseas and your family address is overseas, you will be considered as an Overseas applicant.

The only way to avoid this is if you can prove that your father's job is temporary (under 3 years), that your family maintain a home in the UK, still use UK bank accounts, and pay UK tax. Etc.
Original post by Notalextelles
Hi, I live in a country in Asia because of my father's job but I am British-born. Will I be considered as a home student or international student at University? We've been visiting England every one or two years since my birth but never really got a chance to shift permanently again because of my father's job.

Please ring UKCISA student advice line.

Unlike much of the information that has been posted in this thread they’re the experts in home fee eligibility and student support eligibility.

Ordinary residency is much more complex than where you live. If you’re ineligible at 18 then you might be able to change that by moving back to the UK to work for a year before starting university (and demonstrating that your stay overseas was solely due to your parents employment and only temporary for you until you reached 18).

Student support (loans) regulations are much stricter than fee eligibility (which is determined by each university independently but following ukcisa guidelines). Unless you can afford to pay fees and living costs for the length of your degree then it’s worth deferring starting a degree until you are eligible for student support.

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