Urgent Student Funding Help

Hey all

Here's my situation... I hope someone has some advice.

In the spring of 2011 I was accepted onto the social work course at the University of Plymouth.  Now, in order to be classes as a home student, you need to live in the UK for three years before the start date of your course.  My course started September 19th, but my three year anniversary of living in the UK was October 3rd.  They decided to class me as a home student, anyway, presumably because the date was so close, and I had been married to an EU citizen (my husband is Irish) for the three years prior to the start date. 

Student Finance England, however, were not so generous and said I wasn't eligible to receive any funding, nor was I eligible to receive the NHS bursary for social work students.  The university told me they were hoping to be set up to process US federal student loans "soon", but as of now, they still aren't. 

For many reasons, not the least of which was the fee increase starting next year, I decided to pay 50% of my first year's fees out of pocket, so I could start the course, and then sort out the rest of my funding. 

I'm getting a bit panicky now, as I don't have funding past January 2012.  The uni still can't take US loans, Sallie Mae said I would need to provide a US address where I can prove I live, so that's out...  My bank offers a professional development loan for students, but they require you to have ILR (I'm on a five year EEA Residence Permit until 2014)...  I can't afford to pay my fees out of pocket again.

I read in another thread that it is possible for the family members/spouses of EU citizens to "piggy back" onto their EU citizen's time, and won't necessarily need to have lived in the UK, themselves, for the previous three years.  Is that true? 

Does anyone have any other suggestions?  I'm desperate to get this funding sorted so I don't have to drop out of my course. 

I read in another thread that it is possible for the family members/spouses of EU citizens to "piggy back" onto their EU citizen's time, and won't necessarily need to have lived in the UK, themselves, for the previous three years.  Is that true?

Yes, and that is the reason you are paying the "home" fee.  You meet the category "EU Nationals and family" under the Special Provision for courses starting on or after 1 September 2011.  See http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/info_sheets/tuition_fees_ewni.php#cat3. 

However, the Special Provision only relates to the fees you pay, not to any eligiblity for Student Support.  You will need to be self-funding for the whole course.  I hate to say it, but it sounds like it was maybe a little rash to start a degree course without knowing how you would fund your studies beyond the first few months.

So is the uni on Sallie Mae's list of unis?

If it's not I'm not sure what you can do. If it is then can you not put down a parents address or anyone you may know in the US? You don't actually do anything through the post as you can have all of your correspondence sent to you via email and their online system.

Hello, I'm very interested in this discussion. I have been accepted to a MSc programme in England, and I am very excited to attend. But, of course the international fees are exceedingly high. I was born in the UK but I have grown up in Canada. I haven't lived in the UK for 25 years. However, my father still lives there.

Clobby, I'm interested in the "piggy back". I haven't been able to find out much about it. The link Sah provided is one that I have read, but it makes no sense to me. I am entitled to home fees if my UK family member has spent 3 mo. in another state. That's so strange. Why would it matter if my father lived in Estonia, Romania, Spain?? He's never gone anywhere, and I don't see why that should influence my fees.

Any thoughts?? Has anyone been able to look into this further?

Thank you

  

It's pretty simple for you, actually.  You are not under 21, nor are you dependent on your father.  So you're not entitled to home fees.  It's in Box 7 on that link.

Actually, I think this UKCISA won't really help me out. The form I received from the University is a bit different. It doesn't ask about my age. It tells me to submit the rental/utility bills of property maintained by my family, and to list the number of times I have been to that property. 

It should be fine. I just wondered if anyone had figured out the 3 mo thing.

Thanks

The form I received from the University is a bit different. It doesn't ask about my age. It tells me to submit the rental/utility bills of property maintained by my family, and to list the number of times I have been to that property.  It should be fine.

It depends what you mean by "fine".  You will be "overseas" not "home".  They are asking those questions to ascertain whether you have been ordinarily resident for the required 3 years, but it seems clear that you have not, so you will not meet any of the "home" fees categories.  They already know your age, so they don't need to ask it again on the fee status questionnaire.

I just wondered if anyone had figured out the 3 mo thing.

The Special Provision is for dependants of EU nationals who have exercised a right of free movement in the EEA.  A UK national who has always lived in the UK would not be exercising such a right, but a UK national who spent 3 months in another member state as a worker, student or self-sufficent person, then came back, would be.  It does, in effect, disadvantage dependants of UK nationals who have always lived in the UK.

If they already know my age (and everything else--through the application process), why bother asking about my family's property and taxes?

I might as well say that I did apply as an international student. It was the school that couldn't determine if I was eligible for home fees. They asked me to fill out the form and submit property/tax info. It was at that point I started investigating and found UKCISA. Which is clearly your source for inspiration.

All I know is that the form I was asked to fill out was not trying to determine if I had lived there for 3yrs prior to school start. They already know where I've been living.   

 

If they already know my age (and everything else--through the application process), why bother asking about my family's property and taxes?... All I know is that the form I was asked to fill out was not trying to determine if I had lived there for 3yrs prior to school start. They already know where I've been living.

They are just trying to ascertain whether you were "ordinarily resident" in the UK during the relevant 3-year period, even though you were not physically present for some or all of that period, and hence possibly eligible to pay the "home" fee.  If you really want to get into it, see UKCISA's guidance on ordinary residence, but I agree in your case t will not prompt a "home" fees assessment assessment. 

It seems you are finding the questions intrusive or stressful.  Feel free to tell them you are happy with the overseas assessment.

What if your husband/wife/partner is an E.E.A migrant worker? Aren't you then entitled to receive funding, or does the 3-year residency rule still apply?

Berliners--I think so.

I have not been living in the U.K. for 3 years, but I have been classified as a home student because my partner is an E.E.A migrant worker. I think the OP should contact the EU Students Team department because Student Finance England is a bit out of touch when it comes to interpreting the relevant legislation.

What if your husband/wife/partner is an E.E.A migrant worker? Aren't you then entitled to receive funding, or does the 3-year residency rule still apply?

All categories of eligibility for Student Support (except the refugee category) have a 3-year residence requirement, but for European categories the residence area includes the whole EEA, and the UK/EEA Overseas Territories.  Other categories expand the residence area even further to include Switzerland and Turkey. 

See the Student Support eligibility for all 4 UK countries at http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/information_sheets.php#student_support