Tuition fees for study in Scotland - August 2012 onwards

28 March 2013

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Update note: This information sheet is to be updated as soon as possible to allow for HE fees assessments for 2013/14 onwards. It should not be used for 2013/14 HE fee assessments until it has been updated.

The Education (Fees, Awards and Student Support) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2013 make changes to the current Scottish HE fees regulations and these changes take effect from 1 August 2013. Amendments will include:

• a change to the definition of a family member (as used in categories 3, 4 and 6 below)
• a change to eligibility for dual nationals - those who have both UK nationality as well as some other EU nationality - covered by category 3
• a clarification for category 3 that where a non-EU national student is relying on being the family member of an EU national, that EU national must be in the UK and accompanied, or joined, by the non-EU national student.

This information sheet should also not currently be used for fee assessments for FE courses. See Special provisions for students on courses of further education.

Who is this information sheet for?

This Information Sheet explains the conditions you need to meet to be entitled to pay tuition fees at the ‘home’ rate if you are commencing your course of study in Scotland in the academic year 2012-2013.

If you are continuing a course of study in 2012-13 that you started in a previous year, or if you are starting a course in 2012-13, having had a written arrangement with your institution before 1 August 2011 to defer the start date until this year, then you should not use this Information Sheet. Instead, you should use Tuition fees for study in Scotland - if your course starts, or started, before 1 August 2012.

If this is the right information sheet for you, and you find you are not eligible for fees at the 'home' rate, you may be eligible to pay a capped, middle rate fee. However, if eligible for neither the 'home' rate nor the middle rate, then you will be liable for a top, uncapped overseas fee. We will make it clear where you may be eligible for the capped middle rate fee instead of the 'home' fee.

There are separate Information Sheets for the other countries of the UK. See UKCISA's complete list of fees Information Sheets.

Will I pay the ‘home’ or ‘overseas’ rate of fee?

Fee rates

Publicly funded educational institutions in Scotland will, for courses starting in 2012 onwards, charge you one of three levels of fee:

• a ‘home’ fee (£1820 for 2012-13);
• a middle rate capped fee, which some students who are not eligible for 'home' fees may, nonetheless, qualify for (institutions have agreed with the Scottish Government to cap this at £9000 for 2012-13); and
• a top-rate ‘overseas’ fee for all other students.

Please note that private sector institutions often have only one level of tuition fee, which all students must pay.

For courses in publicly funded educational institutions, some categories of student must be charged the ‘home’ fee and the various categories of ‘home’ student are explained below.

The level of fee you will have to pay depends on whether you meet certain criteria. Different criteria can be applied depending on whether you are studying a course at higher education level or further education level.

Student Support

Most people who qualify for ‘home’ fees for study in Scotland are eligible to have their fees paid for them. For further information about this, see the UKCISA Information Sheet, Student Support: applying in Scotland.

"No recourse to public funds"

If you have "no recourse to public funds" included in your passport stamp, you will not be in breach of your immigration conditions if you have access to education in the UK. "Public funds" are defined in the Immigration Rules, and the benefits and services listed do not include education or any education funding.

Is my course higher education or further education?

Higher education courses include HNC and HND courses, undergraduate degrees (for example, BA, BSc, BEd) and postgraduate degrees (for example, MA, MSc or PhD).

Further education courses include Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, SVQs and Access courses.

If you are not sure whether your course is higher education or further education, ask your place of study.

If your course is higher education, the institution will usually decide your fee status on the basis of the relevant fees regulations (as explained in Categories for 'home' fees and Definitions).

If your course is further education, the institution might, depending on your circumstances, consider charging you ‘home’ fees even if you do not come within the categories in the regulations (see Special provisions for students on courses of further education).

How much are ‘overseas’ fees?

‘Overseas’ fees can range from £3,500 to about £18,000 per year depending on the institution, the level of course and the type of course. The fee will probably increase each year along with the level of inflation. You should contact the institutions you have applied to in order to find out what the fees are for your course and whether they can tell you what the fees will be for future years.

Your institution will probably ask you to give them some information about yourself and your family (see Fee status: information checklist) to help it assess your fee status. It will use the information you give to check if you fit into one of the 13 categories. You may be asked to provide documents (for example, passport, official letters) to support the information you give.

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Categories for ‘home’ fees: students who are entitled to 'home' fees

General

If you fit into one of the following categories, an institution must charge you ‘home’ fees. This is only a brief summary of persons who must be charged at the ‘home’ fee rate. If your course is further education (FE), check the information in Special provisions for students on courses of further education; this is appropriate to do if it seems that none of the categories below apply to you, and if any of them specifically exclude FE students.

If you are unsure whether you fit into any one of the categories below or if you need further information, check your situation with an adviser at your institution, your Students' Union or UKCISA’s Students' Advice Line.

CATEGORY 1:
Those who have a 'relevant connection' to Scotland

In order to qualify for ‘home’ fees under this category, you must meet all of the following criteria:

(a) you must be 'settled' in the UK [see Box 1] on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11];

AND

(b) you must be 'ordinarily resident' [see Box 2] in Scotland on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11]. However, for HE courses but not FE courses, if you are ordinarily resident in Scotland because you moved from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man to undertake a course, then you are considered to be ordinarily resident wherever you moved from.

AND

(c) your ordinary residence in Scotland on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11] must not be attributable to, or connected with, any period of residence in Scotland, within the immediately preceding three year period, that was mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education. If it is attributable in one or both of these ways, then you will not be eligible under this category UNLESS you acquired the right of permanent residence in the UK "as a result of residence for full-time education which has led to a right of permanent residence". (See Category 5. Non-UK EU nationals and family members with the right of permanent residence in the UK for an explanation of the 'right of permanent residence'.)

(Note that the requirements of all of (c) above do not apply to FE courses. If a FE student does not meet (c) then they will still be fundable under this category of they meet all other parts.)

AND

(d) you must also have been 'ordinarily resident' [see Box 2] in the UK and Islands (the Islands means the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) for the full three year period before the 'relevant date' [see Box 11]. For example, if your course begins in September 2012, the date in (a) above will be 1 August 2012 and you must have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands from 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2012.

AND

(e) the main purpose for your residence in the UK and islands must not have been to receive full-time education during any part of that three-year period UNLESS you are someone with the right of permanent residence. People with the right of permanent residence are allowed to have had a main purpose of full-time education as long as you were ordinarily resident in the EEA and/or Switzerland immediately prior to your five-year period of residence in the UK which led to you obtaining the right of permanent residence.

Students from the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man

If you are in receipt of an award from your Island authority, you are treated differently as there is an agreement between the Island authorities and UK higher education institutions. If your are ‘self-financing’, seek advice from your institution, Students’ Union or UKCISA.

In addition, if you moved to the UK for your course of study (or a course of study you finished immediately before it), you will be treated as being ordinarily resident in the Islands and you will therefore be unable to meet (a) above.

Eligibility for the middle rate fee

If you fail to meet (b) and/or (c) but meet all other requirements, you will still be eligible for the middle rate fee of £9000, as long as you are ordinarily resident in the UK on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11]. However, if you are ordinarily resident in the UK having moved from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man to undertake a course, then you are considered to be ordinarily resident wherever you moved from.

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CATEGORY 2:
Those who are 'settled' in the UK and have exercised a 'right of residence' in the EEA and/or Switzerland, and family members of 'settled' UK nationals

In order to qualify for ‘home’ fees under this category, you must meet all of the following criteria:

(a) you are ‘settled’* in the United Kingdom [see Box 1] or you are the 'settled' / non-'settled' family member of a UK national;

AND

(b) you have left the UK and exercised a right of residence in the EEA and/or Switzerland but were 'settled'* in the UK immediately before leaving (Note if you are the 'settled' / non-'settled' family member of a UK national then you do not have to have been settled in the UK immediately before that person exercised a right of residence).

(Note a right of residence covers those people, and their family members, who are in the EEA [see Box 5] and/or Switzerland as:

• workers; and/or
• self-employed people; and/or
• students; and/or
• self-sufficient people.

AND

(c) you were ordinarily resident in Scotland, immediately before leaving the UK, in a way that was not attributable to, or not connected with, any period of residence in Scotland, that was mainly for receiving full-time education, within the immediately preceding 3 years;

AND

(d) you have been ordinarily resident [see Box 2] in the EEA and/or Switzerland for the three years preceding 'relevant date' [see Box 11];

AND

(e) in a case where the ordinary residence referred to in (d) above was wholly or mainly for the purposes of receiving full-time education, you were ordinarily resident in EEA/Switzerland immediately before that three-year period.

*if you are the family member of a UK national, these requirements to be, or to have been, settled do not apply to you.

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CATEGORY 3:
European Union (EU) nationals, and family members

In order to qualify for ‘home’ fees under this category, you must meet all of the following criteria:

(a) you must either be:

1. a national of an EU country [see Box 3] but not a UK national, or the 'relevant family member' [see Box 7] of such a person, on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11]; or
2. a UK national who has exercised a right of residence as a worker or self-sufficient person or student in another EEA member state, or Switzerland, or the 'relevant family member' [see Box 7] of such a person, on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11];

AND

(b) you or (for HE but not FE) the person that you are a relevant family member of must have been ordinarily resident [see Box 2] in the European Economic Area (EEA) [see Box 5], Switzerland and/or the EU overseas territories for the three years before the 'relevant date' [see Box 11];

AND

(c)

1. if you are the person who has been ordinarily resident in the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and/or the EU overseas territories for the three years before the 'relevant date', the main purpose of your residence in that area must not have been to receive full-time education during any part of the three-year period; or
2. (for HE but not FE) if you are the relevant family member of the person who has been ordinarily resident in the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and/or the EU overseas territories for the three years before the 'relevant date', the main purpose of your relevant family member's residence in that area must not have been to receive full-time education during any part of the three-year period.

NOTES:

• If you become, or if a 'relevant family member' [see Box 7] becomes, an EU national after the start of your course, you can become entitled to 'home' fees from the start of the following academic year as long as you have already satisfied the residence conditions in (b) and (c) above, that is, at the start of the first year of your course (see the next note too).
• For the purposes of the residence conditions, any country that joins the EU is considered always to have been part of the EEA.

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CATEGORY 4:
Non-UK EU nationals, and family members, in the UK & Islands

In order to qualify for ‘home’ fees under this category, you must meet all of the following criteria:

(a) you are an EU national (but not a UK national), or the family member [see Box 7] of such a person, on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11];

AND

(b) you are ordinarily resident [see Box 2] in Scotland on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11];

AND

(c) you were ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for the three-year period before the 'relevant date' [see Box 11];

AND

(d) if your residence described in (c) above was mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education, you must have been ordinarily resident in the EEA/Switzerland immediately prior to the three-year period of ordinary residence in the UK and Islands.

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CATEGORY 5:
Non-UK EU nationals and family members with the right of permanent residence in the UK

The ‘right of permanent residence’

EU nationals acquire the right of permanent residence after a five-year period of uninterrupted lawful residence in the UK. This same rule applies to family members who are not EU nationals and who have lived in the UK with an EU national for five years.

In order to qualify for ‘home’ fees under this category, you must meet all of the following criteria:

(a) you have 'the right of permanent residence' in the UK under European Community (EC) law on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11];

AND

(b) you are 'ordinarily resident' [see Box 2] in Scotland on the date in (a) above. However, if you are ordinarily resident in Scotland because you moved from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man to undertake a course, then you are considered to be ordinarily resident wherever you moved from.

AND

(c) your ordinary residence in Scotland on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11] is not attributable to, or connected with, any period of residence in Scotland, within the immediately preceding three year period, that was mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education. (If it is, then you will not be eligible under this category UNLESS you acquired the right of permanent residence in the UK "as a result of residence for full-time education which has led to a right of permanent residence".);

AND

(b) you were ordinarily resident [see Box 2] in the UK and Islands for the three-year period before the date in (a) above;

AND

(c) the main purpose for your residence in the UK and Islands must not have been to receive full-time education during any part of the three-year period UNLESS you qualified for permanent residence due to residence for full-time education and you were ordinarily resident in the EEA/Switzerland immediately prior to the three-year period in (b)

Eligibility for the middle rate fee

If you fail to meet (b) and/or (c) but meet all other requirements, you will still be eligible for the middle rate fee of £9000, as long as you are ordinarily resident in the UK on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11].

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CATEGORY 6:
Non-UK European Economic Area (EEA) / Swiss workers, and family members

In order to qualify for ‘home’ fees under this category, you must meet all of the following criteria:

(a) you must be an EEA national [see Box 5] (but NOT a UK national), or a Swiss national, in the UK as a ‘worker’ [see Box 9], or the relevant family member [see Box 7] of such a ‘worker’. If you are an EEA or Swiss ‘frontier worker’ [see Box 9] you must be working in Scotland;

AND

(b) you must have been ordinarily resident [see Box 2] in the EEA [see Box 5] and/or Switzerland for the three years preceding the 'relevant date' [see Box 11].

AND

(c) for FE fees only you must be 'ordinarily resident' in Scotland the 'relevant date' unless you are a frontier worker or family member of such a person [see Box 11]

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CATEGORY 7:
Child of a Swiss National

In order to qualify for ‘home’ fees under this category, you must meet all of the following criteria:

(a) you must be the child [see Box 8] of a Swiss national

AND

(b) you must have been ordinarily resident [see Box 2] in the EEA [see Box 5] and/or Switzerland for the three years immediately before the 'relevant date' [see Box 11]

AND

(c) if the main purpose for your residence in the EEA/Switzerland, as in (b) above, was wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education, you must have been ordinarily resident in the EEA and/or Switzerland immediately before that three-year period

AND

(d) for FE fees only you must be 'ordinarily resident' in Scotland the 'relevant date' [see Box 11]

NOTES:

• There is no requirement that your Swiss parent is, or has been, economically active in the UK.
• If you become the child of a Swiss national part-way through your course, you might become entitled to pay 'home' fees – you can seek advice on this from an adviser at your institution, your Students' Union or telephone UKCISA's Students' Advice Line.

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CATEGORY 8:
Child of a Turkish worker

In order to qualify for ‘home’ fees under this category, you must meet all of the following criteria:

(a) you must be the child [see Box 8] of a Turkish national;

AND

(b) your Turkish national parent must be ordinarily resident [see Box 2] in Scotland and must be, or have been, lawfully employed in the UK;

AND

(c) you must be ordinarily resident in Scotland on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11]

AND

(d) you must have been ordinarily resident in the EEA [see Box 5] and/or Switzerland and/or Turkey for the three years before the date in (c) above

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CATEGORY 9:
Refugees and family

In order to qualify for ‘home’ fees under this category, you must meet all of the following criteria:

(a) you must have been recognised as a refugee by the UK Government and have remained ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands since then, or you must be the spouse or civil partner or child [see Box 8] of such a person.

AND

(b) you must be ordinarily resident in Scotland on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11].

If you are, or if your parent or spouse or civil partner is, recognised as a refugee after the start of the course, you will be entitled to pay ‘home’ fees from the start of the next academic year.

Eligibility for the middle rate fee

If you are studying a HE course, and meet (a) but not (b), then you will be eligible for the middle rate fee.

See Box 10 for when someone granted Refugee Status has become a British Citizen.

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CATEGORY 10:
Those not granted refugee status but allowed to remain in the UK, and family

If you apply for asylum and the Home Office decides that you do not qualify for refugee status but that you should be allowed to stay in the UK, it normally grants Humanitarian Protection (HP) or Discretionary Leave (DL) or, in some cases, Indefinite Leave to Remain. Until 1 April 2003, Exceptional Leave to Enter or Remain (ELE/R) was granted in such circumstances.

To be eligible for 'home' fees under this category, you must meet all of the following criteria:

(a) you must have been refused refugee status but granted leave as above and have remained ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands since the Home Office decision, you must be the spouse, civil partner or child [see Box 8] of someone who meets the above conditions.

AND

(b) you must be ordinarily resident in Scotland on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11].

If you are, or if your parent or spouse or civil partner is, granted permission to stay in the UK after the start of your course, you will be entitled to pay ‘home’ fees from the start of the next academic year.

Eligibility for the middle rate fee

If you are studying a HE course, and meet (a) but not (b), then you will be eligible for the middle rate fee.

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CATEGORY 11:
Children of asylum seekers and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children

In order to qualify for ‘home’ fees under this category, you must meet all of the following criteria:

(a) be the child [see Box 8] of an asylum seeker, or an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child

AND

(b) be living in Scotland on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11];

AND

(c) have been living in Scotland for the three-year period immediately before the date in (b);

AND

(d) have been under 18 years old on the date when you or your parent applied for asylum, and that application must have been made before 1 December 2006;

AND

(e) be under 25 years old on the date in (b).

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CATEGORY 12:
Exchange students

If you are studying in the UK on the basis of a formal student exchange between your institution in your own country and your UK place of study, you will not normally have to pay fees. If you do have to pay fees, these will be at the ‘home’ rate.

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CATEGORY 13:
Iraqi nationals granted indefinite leave to enter the UK under the Locally Engaged Staff Assistance Scheme (Direct Entry), and family

In order to qualify for ‘home’ fees under this category, you must meet all of the following criteria:

(a) you must be an Iraqi national who has been granted indefinite leave to enter the United Kingdom, under the Locally Engaged Staff Assistance Scheme (Direct Entry) operated by the Home Department, or the spouse, civil partner or child of such a person;

AND

(b) you must have been ordinarily resident [see Box 2] in the United Kingdom and Islands at all times since you were first granted such indefinite leave to enter the United Kingdom;

AND

(c) you must be 'ordinarily resident' [see Box 2] in Scotland on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11]. If you are not an Iraqi national yourself, but are the spouse, civil partner or child of such a person, then that Iraqi national must also be ordinarily resident' [see Box 2] in Scotland on the 'relevant date' [see Box 11].

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Definitions

Box 1 'Settled' To be 'settled' you must either have the Right of Abode or Indefinite Leave to Enter or Remain in the UK or have the right of permanent residence in the UK under EC law. If your passport describes you as a ‘British citizen’, then you have the ‘Right of Abode’. Certain categories exempt from time limits on their stay in the UK, however, do not come within the definition of ‘settled’ – for example, diplomats and members of their households do not have specified time limits on their permission to stay in the UK but they are not ‘settled’ under the relevant immigration law. NOTE: those who are ‘settled’ through having acquired the right of permanent residence under European Community (EC) law do not qualify as ‘home’ students under category 1 but may qualify under category 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6. ↑ Back to top

Box 2 Ordinarily resident The relevant residence area is specified in each individual category, and is one of the following: the UK and Islands the EEA and Switzerland the EEA, Switzerland and the EU overseas territories the UK and British overseas territories the EEA, Switzerland and Turkey You are ordinarily resident in the relevant area if you have habitually, normally and lawfully resided in that area from choice. Temporary absences from the residence area should be ignored. If you can demonstrate that you have not been ordinarily resident in the relevant residence area only because you were, or your ‘relevant family member’ was, temporarily working or studying outside the relevant residence area, you will be treated as though you have been ordinarily resident there for this period. Main purpose of residence being full-time education Where a category includes a condition that the main purpose of your residence must not have been to receive full-time education, a useful question to ask is: “if you had not been in full-time education, where would you have been ordinarily resident?”. If the answer is “outside the relevant residence area”, this would indicate that the main purpose for your residence was full-time education. If the answer is that you would have been resident in the relevant residence area even if you had not been in full-time education, this would indicate that full-time education was not the main purpose for your residence in the relevant area. For more detailed information about ordinary residence, see UKCISA’s Information Sheet, Ordinary residence: case law for fees and Student Support. ↑ Back to top

Box 3 European Union (EU) national You are an EU national if you are a national or citizen of: Austria Belgium Bulgaria Republic of Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland (including the Aland Islands) France (including the French Overseas Departments of Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guyana, Reunion and Saint-Martin) Germany (including Heligoland) Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores) Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain (including the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla) Sweden UK (including Gibraltar). ↑ Back to top

Box 4 European Overseas Territories The European overseas territories are: Aruba Faroe Islands French Polynesia French Southern and Antarctic Territories Greenland Mayotte Netherland Antilles (Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten) the Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies St Pierre et Miquelon Wallis and Futuna Islands. You are a European overseas territories national if you are a national of any of these territories. ↑ Back to top

Box 5 The European Economic Area (EEA) The EEA is a larger area than the EU. It is made up of all the countries in the EU [listed in Box 3] plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. For categories where the residence area includes the EEA, the residence area is made up of all 30 countries in the EEA including the whole of the island of Cyprus (that is, including Northern Cyprus). ↑ Back to top

Box 7 Relevant family members EU Nationals / (Non-UK) EU Nationals spouse or civil partner direct descendants of the EU national national, or of the EU national’s spouse or civil partner, for example child/grandchild, who must also be under 21 or (if 21 or over) dependent on the EU national or dependent on the EU national’s spouse or civil partner for self-sufficient EU nationals, the dependent direct ascendants of the EU national, or dependent direct ascendants of the EU national’s spouse/civil partner, for example dependent parents and grandparents. European Economic Area (EEA) / Swiss Workers spouse or civil partner direct descendants of the EEA/Swiss worker and of the EEA/Swiss worker's spouse or civil partner, for example children or grandchildren; a direct descendant must also be under 21 years old or (if 21 or over) dependent on the EEA/Swiss worker or dependent on the EEA/Swiss worker's spouse or civil partner direct ascendants of the EEA/Swiss worker or of the spouse or civil partner or the EEA/Swiss worker, for example parents and grandparents, who must be dependent on the EEA/Swiss worker or dependent on the spouse or civil partner of the EEA/Swiss worker. ↑ Back to top

Box 8 'Child' In this Information Sheet, a person is included as a ‘child’ if the parent is a step parent, guardian or a person who has parental responsibility for or care of them. ‘Child’ is not defined in terms of age, for example it does not mean only a person under the age of 18. ↑ Back to top

Box 9 EEA/Swiss ‘worker’ ‘Worker’ includes an EEA or Swiss national who is working in the UK and is: employed; self-employed; or a ‘frontier worker’who is employed or self-employed. A 'frontier worker' is an EEA or Swiss national who works in Scotland but who "resides in Switzerland or the territory of an EEA State other than the United Kingdom and returns to their residence in Switzerland or an EEA state, at least once a week". What kind of work? The work can be full-time or part-time. If you give up work to start a course, you should still be treated as a migrant worker if your course of study is related to your job or area of work. If you have become ‘involuntarily unemployed’, you do not have to show that your course of study is related to your previous job – for example, if your post was made redundant, or if your contract ended and was not renewed. However, you do have to be registered as unemployed (at Jobcentre Plus). If you lost your job through misconduct, you would not be considered ‘involuntarily unemployed’. It can be work that you are doing while you are on the course, unless it is ‘ancillary’ to the course. ‘Ancillary’ means the work is part of the course or work you were offered only because you have been accepted on a particular course. ↑ Back to top

Box 10 When someone granted Refugee Status has become a British Citizen The Immigration Rules revoke someone’s Refugee Status once he/she subsequently obtains a new nationality, eg when a refugee gains British citizenship. If you have, or a relevant family member has, Refugee Status and you are, or the person with that status is, considering applying for British (or any other) citizenship, you should be aware that such an application could have an effect on your fees status or your eligibility for Student Support. Example: You are about to start Year 1 of your BA degree course and you have been provisionally assessed as eligible for ‘home’ fees and Student Support because one of your parents has Refugee Status. Your parent with Refugee Status obtains British citizenship during the month before the first day of the first academic year of your course. You would no longer be eligible under the same category because the requirement that your family member - in this example, your parent - has Refugee status would no longer be met. ↑ Back to top

Box 11 Definition of 'relevant date' for courses starting: 'relevant date': on or after 1 August and on or before 31 December 1 August on or after 1 January and before 1 April 1 January on or after 1 April and before 1 July 1 April on or after 1 July and before 1 August 1 July ↑ Back to top

What can I do if I think the institution has made a mistake in deciding my fee status?

If you think a mistake has been made, do not sign any document or contract agreeing to pay the 'overseas' rate of fee. Contact the institution immediately and ask it to explain the decision. If you still think the decision is wrong, give the reasons why you think there has been a mistake. It is important to communicate in writing and to keep copies of all correspondence. If you are still not satisfied with the decision, contact an adviser at your institution, your Students' Union or telephone UKCISA’s Students’ Advice Line.

Special provisions for students on courses of further education

See 'Is my course higher education or further education' for an explanation of what further education means.

We are in the process of updating our information for students on courses of further education in Scotland. We aim to publish new information here as soon as possible.

If you are in doubt about your fee status for a FE course in Scotland, you should seek advice from your institution, Students' Union or UKCISA’s Students’ Advice line.

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Fee status: information checklist

Many institutions have a ‘fee status questionnaire’ which they will ask you to complete. This checklist describes the type of information which institutions may ask you to provide. Please note that this list is for your information and guidance only. Individual institutions may ask for more or less information than is listed here.

• Course start date (month and year)
• Your nationality/passport
• If you are married / in a civil partnership: nationality of your husband / wife / civil partner
• Nationality/nationalities of your parents: mother and father
• Nationality/nationalities of any other relevant family members

If you are already in the UK:

• Date you arrived in the UK (date, month, year)
• What is your immigration status in the UK? (For example, student; visitor). Please give dates of any changes or extensions.
• Date of expiry (end) of current Leave to Remain (‘visa’) (date, month,year)
• Current immigration status of your husband / wife / civil partner
• Current immigration status of your parents (if in the UK)
• Current immigration status of any other ‘relevant family members’ (if in the UK)
• Where you live / have lived and where your 'relevant family member', if they are an EU/EEA/Swiss national, lives / has lived:
  • (a) General (over at least the last six years)
  • (b) Past three years / three years before course start date
• Main reasons for residency (in all the countries you have lived in)
• Have you or your parent applied for asylum in the UK?
• If Yes, what has happened

IF YOU ARE APPLYING FOR A FURTHER EDUCATION COURSE:

If you are an asylum seeker, are you planning to study ESOL full- or part-time or a part-time non-advanced course?

If you are not an asylum seeker, are you planning to study on a part-time ESOL course?

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UKCISA Students' Advice Line

Tel: 020 3131 3576
13.00-16.00 hours UK time Mon-Fri
Note that we cannot see personal callers.

If you are calling from outside the UK, do not dial the (0) in the telephone numbers above. For example, if you want to call UKCISA from outside the UK, dial +44 20 3131 3576. If you are in the UK, do not dial +44, but do start the number with 0. For example, if you call UKCISA from within the UK, dial 020 3131 3576.

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© UKCISA
This information sheet may be printed and reproduced provided it is copied unaltered and in its entirety, including UKCISA's logo, disclaimer, copyright statement and the reference to UKCISA's website as a source of further updates, and provided that no charge is made to any persons for copies. NO PART OF IT MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES.

The information in this Information Sheet is given in good faith and has been carefully checked. UKCISA, however, accepts no legal responsibility for its accuracy.

   

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