Attending a UK university as a dual national

Little background - I'm a dual natioanl US/UK citizen.  I am planning on moving to the UK, but up until this point all of my schooling has been in the United States.

I've completed H.S. and roughly 2 years of college education stateside, I'm wondering what the requirements are for UK universities and what type of tuition costs I'd be look at. I'm guessing that if it's anything like our out of state vs in state tuition here in the states it will be a lot cheaper for me to go to school there as a UK citizen than that of the average US foreigner.

Thanks!

I would say that with a high school diploma and 2 years of college education you shouldn't have much problem getting onto a UK university course, although I would contact the universities that you are interested in to find out their requirements to make sure .

In regards to tuition fees, unfortunately being a UK citizen doesn't help much if you have only just moved to the UK - any non-EU citizens OR UK/EU citizens who have not lived in the UK/EU for the previous 3 years before starting a UK university course are subject to international student fees, which are approximately three times normal UK home fees (around £10,000 per year rather than £3,000 per year). So, if someone born and raised in the UK, went to live in the US for 3 years or more, but then moved back to the UK, they would have to pay international fees if they wanted to go to university.

So, you would have 2 options: either move to the UK and attend a UK university right away, but pay international fees, or move to the UK, live there for 3 years and then attend a UK university and pay home/UK fees. The main issues would be whether you could afford to pay the international fees and also whether you would be willing to wait the 3 years to be eligible for home fees.

Even in the US, out-of-state tuition applies to both US and foreign citizens who have not been living in the state for a certain amount of time, so it's a similar situation.

Good luck with your research and plans .

So, if someone born and raised in the UK, went to live in the US for 3 years or more, but then moved back to the UK, they would have to pay international fees if they wanted to go to university.

Not necessarily. 

If they moved to the US without maintaining their Ordinary Residence in the UK, any length of absence would be a problem, not just 3 years or more.

Ordinary Residence is different from physical presence, and in practice many people who move away from the UK for a while do maintain their Ordinary Residence in the UK throughout the absence, even if they are away for a number of years or, occasionally, even a decade or more. 

For example, Ordinary Residence in the UK is not broken by moving away from the UK for employment on temporary contracts (including military posting), for study or for "gap-year"-type travel.  You are automatically considered to be Ordinarily Resident in the UK throughout your absence.

Even if your absence doesn't come under the above exceptions, it is still possible for you to maintain Ordinarily Residence in the UK if you can show that you maintained a "regular and habitual mode of life" here throughout.  This is normally shown by regular physical presence. Things like owning property, maintaining a bank account, having relatives here, being British or having ILR can be part of the overall picture, but do not on their own mean you were Ordinarily Resident.  Case law shows some surprisingly small amounts of physical presence have been accepted as maintaining Ordinary Residence. UKCISA has a helpful summary of the case law for tuition fees and student support.

In OP's case of course, he appears to have no previous residence in the UK anyway, so his Ordinary Residence would only start when he moved here.

Not necessarily. 

If they moved to the US without maintaining their Ordinary Residence in the UK, any length of absence would be a problem, not just 3 years or more.

Ordinary Residence is different from physical presence, and in practice many people who move away from the UK for a while do maintain their Ordinary Residence in the UK throughout the absence, even if they are away for a number of years or, occasionally, even a decade or more. 

For example, Ordinary Residence in the UK is not broken by moving away from the UK for employment on temporary contracts (including military posting), for study or for "gap-year"-type travel.  You are automatically considered to be Ordinarily Resident in the UK throughout your absence.

Even if your absence doesn't come under the above exceptions, it is still possible for you to maintain Ordinarily Residence in the UK if you can show that you maintained a "regular and habitual mode of life" here throughout.  This is normally shown by regular physical presence. Things like owning property, maintaining a bank account, having relatives here, being British or having ILR can be part of the overall picture, but do not on their own mean you were Ordinarily Resident.  Case law shows some surprisingly small amounts of physical presence have been accepted as maintaining Ordinary Residence. UKCISA has a helpful summary of the case law for tuition fees and student support.

In OP's case of course, he appears to have no previous residence in the UK anyway, so his Ordinary Residence would only start when he moved here.

That's interesting to know, because at the beginning of this year I left the UK to move to the US for 4-6 years and was under the impression that I would be ineligible for UK fees had I wished to continue education when I returned (I am a UK citizen and kept bank accounts open, and used my parents' address for things). In the end I decided to move back after 8 months away, but it's still good to know .

That's interesting to know, because at the beginning of this year I left the UK to move to the US for 4-6 years and was under the impression that I would be ineligible for UK fees had I wished to continue education when I returned (I am a UK citizen and kept bank accounts open, and used my parents' address for things). In the end I decided to move back after 8 months away, but it's still good to know .

I agree that being in the US for that long probably would have broken your OR, unless it was for any of temporary reasons I mentioned, or you spent chunks of every year in the UK and maintained your OR that way.

I agree that being in the US for that long probably would have broken your OR, unless it was for any of temporary reasons I mentioned, or you spent chunks of every year in the UK and maintained your OR that way.

I was in the US for grad school/ I still kept my UK bank accounts open and had my savings in the UK, as well as still being registered with my UK dental surgery and doctor (my doctor was nice and said he would keep me registered ), and I was using my parents' address for contact, although I would have only spent a maximum of 1 or 2 weeks in the UK each year. But I was still assuming that the 3-year residency rule would apply to me upon my return - I'm pretty sure it was mentioned in a different thread last year and someone said this would be the case, so that was what I was going with.

I was in the US for grad school

In that case, by definition you would not have broken your ordinary residence in the UK anyway. 

hey nick, i am starting to apply for my uni's now, i am currently living in the UK, have been for a while now. Uni's over here would love an american student so they will be more willing to help you then you may think. Couldnt agree more with what everyones saying, i would contact the uni's your thinking of. Also, dont forget that if you come here for education, funding may be slightly easier because you will possibly be applicable for greater pell grants  (not to sure how its spelt!)

Uni's over here would love an american student so they will be more willing to help you then you may think.

Universities are normally happy to take any overseas student -- who can pay the overseas fees.  They have no reason or interest in "helping" a US student to pay home fees!

Universities are normally happy to take any overseas student -- who can pay the overseas fees.  They have no reason or interest in "helping" a US student to pay home fees!

And Oh!  The fees!  Thank goodness I started this Fall instead of last!  Thank you exchange rate!

And Oh!  The fees!  Thank goodness I started this Fall instead of last!  Thank you exchange rate!

Heh, I hear you.  My fee-paying period was thankfully over by the time the pound hit two dollars.  SO grateful.