If they are granted ILR, individuals under the age of 18 who are about to start in a university might assume that they will be able to be allocated as "home fees," which are similar to the fees that domestic students pay when they enter a UK university. Nevertheless, the applicability of this rule may be determined by looking at the route by which settlement was obtained.

Who decides on eligibility?

Higher education providers in England allocate students a ‘home’ or ‘overseas/international’ status for the purpose of charging fees. The domestic fee for undergraduate students is currently capped by the government at £9,250. Overseas fees are set by providers and can be much higher depending on the course and provider.

Home (UK) students pay lower fees than Overseas students. This is in part because the University receives some additional funding to support teaching from the Office for Students (OfS).

When making decisions on fee status, higher education providers follow regulations set by the Department for Education, but may also exercise some discretion.

To access publicly funded student support, including tuition and maintenance loans, students must be allocated a domestic status by Student Finance England. Student Finance England has no discretion in this area and must follow regulations.

A student may not be eligible for support from Student Finance England even if a higher education provider allocates a domestic fee status.

Who is eligible?

If you have a Home (UK) fee status, you will be charged fees based on the UK government’s fee level for the year. If you are applying for an undergraduate or taught postgraduate course, you may also be able to apply for a student loan to help you pay your fees.

You are likely to have Home (UK) status if:

1. You are a British or Irish national citizen or have a permanent right to live in the UK and you have lived for three full years immediately before the first day of your course in any of the following places:

• the UK
• the Republic of Ireland
• the Isle of Man
• the Channel Islands
• a British Overseas Territory

2. You have been granted refugee status or have humanitarian protection in the UK or certain other forms of humanitarian leave such as through the Ukraine schemes.

3. You are the child, spouse or civil partner of a person who qualifies through points (1) or (2).

4. You have been living legally in the UK for an extended period (usually half your life).

5. You are the child of a Turkish worker, and you and your parent have been living in the UK since before 31 December 2020.

You have a permanent right to live in the UK if you hold any of the following:

• Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
• Indefinite Leave to Enter (ILE)
• Settled status through the EU Settlement Schemes

In most cases, you will not be eligible for Home (UK) fees if the main purpose of your residency in the relevant area has been to receive full-time education (for example, because you are studying away from home at a boarding school or university).

What impact has Brexit had?

Following the UK’s departure from the European Union, a number of new eligibility criteria for Home Fee Status and Student Support have been set out for courses commencing on or after 1 August 2021.

European nationals living in the UK

European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals and their families who have been granted settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme will be able to access Home Fee Status and Student Support on much the same basis as before Brexit.

For example, those granted settled status (and Irish citizens who are automatically deemed settled) will generally be able to access Home Fee Status and tuition and maintenance loans if they have been resident in the UK for at least three years before their course begins. British nationals living in Europe.

For courses starting between 1 August 2021 and 1 January 2028, British nationals living in the EEA or Switzerland and their family members will generally be eligible for Home Fee Status and a tuition and maintenance loan if they meet the following conditions:

• Have been resident in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK for at least three years.
• Have been resident in the EEA or Switzerland on 31 December 2020.
• Have been continuously resident in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK from 31 December 2020 until the course start date.

Overseas fee status

If you do not have Home (UK) status you will have Overseas fee status. This is likely if:

You live in the UK but have immigration restrictions about how long you can stay,

• you have not lived in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man, the Channel Islands or a British Overseas territory for three full years immediately before the first day of your course
• you have lived in the UK but at any point in the three years immediately before the first day of your course your residency was mainly so you could receive full-time education

Are there any exceptions?

Students may be eligible for home fee status and student support if they meet the criteria for limited categories of exceptions. These include:

• Refugees and their family members;
• Persons receiving humanitarian protection and their family members;
• Persons receiving statelessness leave and their family members;
• Persons receiving section 67 leave;
• Persons receiving permission to remain in Calais;
• Persons receiving permission to remain indefinitely as victims of domestic violence or abuse and their children;
• Persons receiving permission to remain indefinitely as bereaved spouses and children;
• Persons receiving leave under the Afghanistan Migration and Support Scheme or the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and their family members, and British nationals who have been evacuated or assisted to leave Afghanistan;
• Persons receiving leave under the Ukraine Scheme and their family members.

If a student on one of these types of leave loses their leave mid-year (e.g. their Ukraine leave expires), they will retain their home study entitlement if they are granted further leave to remain.

Students may be eligible under the 'long-term residence' category if they are not British nationals and one of the following applies:

• If you are under 18 and have lived in the UK for at least 7 years
• If you are over 18 and have lived in the UK for at least 20 years (or more than half your life)

British nationals living in designated British Overseas Territories may also be eligible for home study and tuition fee loans.

Changing your fee status as a current student

Residency requirements to be eligible for Home (UK) fees must be met before the start of your course, and therefore your status will not usually change once you have enrolled.

The UK Government has introduced changes starting with the 2024/25 academic year that will allow you to become eligible for Home (UK) status if your UK immigration status changes part way through your course. You will still need to have met any relevant residency requirements when you first started.

If you become a British citizen, or an Irish citizen, or are granted any form of 'settled status' or Indefinite Leave to Remain, you will be eligible for Home (UK) status starting in the next academic year if you also meet the residency requirements. This will also happen if you are granted refugee status, humanitarian protection, or leave under a Ukraine scheme, regardless of your previous residency.

You may also become eligible if your parent, guardian, spouse, or civil partner changes their status in a similar way.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides specialist information and advice to international students and education providers on fees and funding. Detailed criteria for eligibility categories are available on UKCISA’s website. UKCISA also has a student advice line for discussing individual cases (Tel: +4420 7788 9214), available Monday to Friday (except for public holidays) between 1 pm and 4 pm.

If you require professional advice and assistance with your ILR or settled status application, please contact us on 0203 865 6219 or leave a message.