Educational Fees

This is a question for people who live in the UK as spouses, not as students. Have you ever taken any college and/or university courses while living here? I want to take a course to get certification by the Chartered Institute of Marketing and my local college offers a class for it. I contacted the international office to find out about fees, and I was informed by an international advisor that I was classed as a home student because I've been married to a UK citizen and resided in the UK for more than a year.

Is this right??? I could have sworn that you needed 3 years of residency to be classed as home? Did I misread or have things changed or is the international office wrong??

Any advice welcome!!

I think sometimes colleges (doing non-degree programmes) can be more flexible on the 3-year rule.  For a university it's always going to be 3 years of residence+ILR, but for some reason your story doesn't surprise me because I remember reading somewhere that it wasn't uncommon for spouses to get home fees for classes below degree level after 1 year of residence.

If they're offering you home fees, definitely take it!  It's their choice to make.

andrea_m is right, there is a special provision for Further Education (FE) courses in England only.  You are also "home" for fees if you can show you are the spouse or civil partner of a settled person, and you have been both married and resident for at least 12 months.  There is a similar concession (again for FE only, and only in England) for people who have been legally resident in England (in any immigration category) for 3 years.

These and some other concessions for FE are listed on the back page of the UKCOSA guidance note on Fees:

http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/images/tuitionfees_ewn.pdf

  You are also "home" for fees if you can show you are the spouse or civil partner of a settled person, and you have been both married and resident for at least 12 months. 

That is the first time I hear this.  One of the main reasons we are moving back go the US is because we couldn't afford the overseas tuition for me.  How do you go about taking advantage of this?

June

It's nothing secret, it is one of the main special provisions for Further Education courses in England.  It's all on laid out page 10 of the UKCOSA guidance note.  It does not apply in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, nor for any Higher Education course.