SFE Ineligible and confusion as to why.

I have been accepted as a UK home student by all my Uni's and firmed up on Durham but have been living overseas in the EU. Despite it clearly stating in the Brexit agreement "anyone in EU with a UK passport is eligible as long as they were in EU before 2020" I was asked for more evidence. I then sent in my signed proof of address since birth. On providing this I was still denied with a completely conflicted email saying :

Unfortunately the form you have completed and evidence you have sent does not meet the specified criteria as you do not have three/five years residency before the first day of the first academic year of your course.You therefore are Ineligible for Student Finance England funding.You may qualify for European Union funding, which provides support towards the cost of your tuition fees. Please complete and return the attached EUNform. You have already submitted valid identity evidence therefore we do not require you to send this again.You have not supplied us with any valid identity evidence. Please provide us with one of the following: Your original valid passport Your original valid national identity card.

Not sure how to proceed here as my other British classmates with the same criteria have already been approved. Is this a case of individual people on the evidence team having different awareness of the rules/law and is there a way to actually speak to someone rather than wait weeks for mail?

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 1

Ross SLC

Official Rep

Original post by Laina7676

I have been accepted as a UK home student by all my Uni's and firmed up on Durham but have been living overseas in the EU. Despite it clearly stating in the Brexit agreement "anyone in EU with a UK passport is eligible as long as they were in EU before 2020" I was asked for more evidence. I then sent in my signed proof of address since birth. On providing this I was still denied with a completely conflicted email saying :
Unfortunately the form you have completed and evidence you have sent does not meet the specified criteria as you do not have three/five years residency before the first day of the first academic year of your course.You therefore are Ineligible for Student Finance England funding.You may qualify for European Union funding, which provides support towards the cost of your tuition fees. Please complete and return the attached EUNform. You have already submitted valid identity evidence therefore we do not require you to send this again.You have not supplied us with any valid identity evidence. Please provide us with one of the following: Your original valid passport Your original valid national identity card.
Not sure how to proceed here as my other British classmates with the same criteria have already been approved. Is this a case of individual people on the evidence team having different awareness of the rules/law and is there a way to actually speak to someone rather than wait weeks for mail?

Hi Laina,

On public forum we don't have account access.

Were you asked for evidence of your temporary break from the UK?

Were you born in the UK then moved to EU?

Thanks,
Ross

Reply 2

Laina7676

His Ross,
I was asked for evidence of all my physical addresses since birth. I was not asked for temporary break evidence. I was born in the EU to British parents and only have a British passport..

Thanks,

Reply 3

Graeme SFE

Official Rep

Original post by Laina7676

Hi Laina,

Thanks - have you lived in the UK at any point, or have you lived most of your life in the EU?

Thanks, Graeme

Reply 4

Laina7676

Hi Graeme, just the EU.

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 5

Graeme SFE

Official Rep

Original post by Laina7676

Hi Ross, just the EU.

Okay, based on what you've said the decision the assessment team has made is correct: this is based on the fact that you're a British national who's never been ordinarily resident in the UK.

Just to clarify, although you're not entitled to a Maintenance Loan, you may be able to apply instead for the Tuition Fee Loan only.

To do this we'd recommend completing the EU24N form and posting it to us as soon as you're able. You can find the form below.

Also, sorry for the confusion with the e-mail: it looks like a template that had certain sections not removed that don't apply to you.

Thanks, Graeme

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/662a16dc690acb1c0ba7e53a/eu_eu24n_form_2425_o.pdf

Reply 6

Laina7676

Thanks for the response Graeme, a couple of questions/concerns:
If I look at the government SFE website is clearly states I am eligible and meet everything below or is there some small print somewhere else?

•

they were living in the EEA or Switzerland on 31 December 2020 (or have moved back to the UK immediately after living in the EEA or Switzerland)

•

they have lived in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or Gibraltar for at least the last 3 years

•

they have lived continuously in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or Gibraltar between 31 December 2020 and the start of the course

If I look at the form you linked eu24n and follow the flow chart it says I am eligible for SFC and to apply online in. Am I missing something as I don't see a way to even fill in eu24n without getting sent back to begin the whole SFE again? Basically the en24n section 3a2 contradicts what I am being told and puts me back into the SFC system again. Is there a certain way I should be filling out the form? Thanks for the help as this is very difficult to understand for myself and my family.

Reply 7

SFE Clare

Official Rep

Hi Laina7676,

Those regulations would only be applicable if you lived in the UK prior to that at some point in your life. It does sound like the assessment is correct however, you can contact again so that an advise can check your account for this to be looked into.

https://logon.slc.co.uk

0300 100 0607

Thanks, Clare

Reply 8

Laina7676

There is another recent thread I link below that indicates this is not a requirement by SLC responses : https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7314337

It would be nice if SLC would publish any "new" requirements that are different to what is written online on the actual government site and written in the legal Brexit agreement, (if indeed there are any). Right now there is clearly a situation where different applicants are getting different outcomes and some will end up not being able to attend uni this year due to no funding.

I will attempt to call and speak to someone. Thanks for your help but this is very frustrating as classmates have already been approved in exactly the same situation.