Residency requirement to qualify to pay home student fees.

[bromley mum]

A friend of mine may be moving abroad. She would like her DC (currently Y8 and Y7) to go to a UK university. Her question is that if she moves abroad and then sends DC here for uni will she have to pay foreign student fees? If yes, then how long before they start uni should she be thinking of moving back in order toqualify as a home student? Any ideas?

[hermanmunster]

3 years .... unless it is the EU they had better not go, or at least only stay away 2 years!

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduat ... whichfees/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[sherry_d]

Quite a few expat kids pay home fees using many ways. A child can apply on their own on the basis they were dragged around by their parents and they never intend to go and live abroad. As long as the child (student) can show it was parental choice not theirs that forced them abroad. Nobody knows how long this and other loopholes will work for considering that many unis are struggling with funding. Also if the parents can prove that their move abroad was temporary and not permanent.

Temporary Absence
Temporary or occasional absences form the UK or EEA (as appropriate) will not interrupt ordinary residence. Each case must be assessed on its own merits. Evidence could be documents showing:

• The reason why the applicant was abroad (e.g. own or parent’s temporary employment abroad, education abroad, holidays, study, voluntary service).
• That the absence was temporary.
• Details of tax paid in the UK/ EEA (own or parents).
• Evidence of a continued link with the UK/EEA, e.g. continuing to keep a property in the UK/EEA.
• Regular visits home.
• Continued business interests in the UK/EEA.

Some unis are much harder than others to prove residence, and in the expatworld they will know that information. Here is a court ruling that was made.

"In the Court's view temporary or occasional absences do not break ordinary residence. Lord Scarman did not define what a temporary or occasional absence might be, but he indicated that it would be possible for an individual to establish ordinary residence in two countries simultaneously. This leads to the conclusion that such breaks could be periods extending to months or even years". (Paragraph 2, Letter from the then Department for Education and Science to LEAs, 30 April 1985 - reference: ACL 2/85).

[mystery]

Maybe there is something the children can do about returning to England during school holidays while their parents are living abroad which will help the situation? Agree with Sherry_d, needs further research and current expats could point in the right direction, but no guarantees about the future especially not in the current climate.

[Alice in Underland]

Also needs to consider:
Where they will be paying their taxes;
Childrens own feelings and decisions when they are 16+ years old !

If going to Canada or the USA I doubt they will want to come back to the UK. It's not just the university courses; it's the opportunities afterwards.