Ordinary Residence - How Long is a Gap Year?
Hello,
I've read in official SFE rules that a gap year abroad does not affect ordinary residence as it is deemed a temporary absence, but what I cannot find is whether this also applies to double gap years.
For context, I am a British citizen with no citizenship or permanent residence elsewhere, and all my family in the UK. After undergrad, I decided to do a two year gap year in Canada on a temporary working holiday visa. I am returning to the same permanent UK address that I left. I can provide evidence of my intent to return, including my visa, my ticket home booked 10 months before the end of my visa, travel insurance, various official documents I continued to have delivered to the family home in the UK, and a UK bank account I continued to tie to my UK address, used to receive gifts from family and for occasional expenses. The total length of my trip will be 23 months.
So is the gap year rule strictly tied to 12 months?
I'll be honest, this is really stressing me out. I took this gap year because I thought it would be a nice break to consider my next steps, and am petrified that I could have accidentally jeapordised my master's even though I always intended to come back. It's been all I can think about for months.
I've read in official SFE rules that a gap year abroad does not affect ordinary residence as it is deemed a temporary absence, but what I cannot find is whether this also applies to double gap years.
For context, I am a British citizen with no citizenship or permanent residence elsewhere, and all my family in the UK. After undergrad, I decided to do a two year gap year in Canada on a temporary working holiday visa. I am returning to the same permanent UK address that I left. I can provide evidence of my intent to return, including my visa, my ticket home booked 10 months before the end of my visa, travel insurance, various official documents I continued to have delivered to the family home in the UK, and a UK bank account I continued to tie to my UK address, used to receive gifts from family and for occasional expenses. The total length of my trip will be 23 months.
So is the gap year rule strictly tied to 12 months?
I'll be honest, this is really stressing me out. I took this gap year because I thought it would be a nice break to consider my next steps, and am petrified that I could have accidentally jeapordised my master's even though I always intended to come back. It's been all I can think about for months.
Reply 1
Hi Arin,
To qualify for standard Student Finance England (SFE) support and home fee status for higher education, you generally need to have been ordinarily resident in the UK for the three years immediately before the start of your course.
A gap year immediately before starting your course does not typically break this residency requirement, provided you maintain your residence in the UK and intend to return. If you've been living outside of the UK and have evidence of this (such as the evidence listed below) this can be used to confirm your intended return to the UK
Thanks, Jason
To qualify for standard Student Finance England (SFE) support and home fee status for higher education, you generally need to have been ordinarily resident in the UK for the three years immediately before the start of your course.
A gap year immediately before starting your course does not typically break this residency requirement, provided you maintain your residence in the UK and intend to return. If you've been living outside of the UK and have evidence of this (such as the evidence listed below) this can be used to confirm your intended return to the UK
•
A letter from HEP confirming gap year
•
A letter from the employer on headed paper confirming temporary employment including dates
•
A contract from the employer that clearly shows the employment is of a temporary nature
•
A letter from HM armed services/Commanding Officer etc
•
Temporary visas or work permits
•
Where evidence has been requested to show that the student maintained a connection to the UK documents such as bank statements and utility bills can be reviewed.
Thanks, Jason
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