Skip to content

Am I a home student?

If you are a Home student, you will pay Home fees - which are generally lower than for International/overseas students - and you may qualify for different levels of support than non-Home students.

You don't need to be living at home to be a Home student. It's about your nationality, where you're resident, or sometimes where your parents are from.

There are a number of different categories outlined below, and in order to qualify for Home fees you must meet all the criteria from one of the categories.

Brexit information for future students

Courses beginning in August 2021 or later

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, the UK government has confirmed that EU, EEA and Swiss nationals starting courses in the 2021/22 academic year who are not registered as 'settled or 'pre-settled' in the UK will no longer be eligible for home/UK fee status or financial support from Student Finance England.

This means that these students will pay the same fees as international students. We are waiting for UKCISA guidance on fee status assessments and will update affected applicants as soon as we can.

The University of Bradford offers undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships for EU students as part of our range of international scholarships. Scholarship details for 2021 entry will be announced in late 2020.

UK Research and Innovation has announced that its PhD studentships will be available for international students from the 2021-22 academic year onwards. This will include EU, EEA and Swiss students as well as students from other countries.

Exceptions to international fee status

EU nationals who are resident in the UK and meet all other eligibility requirements will still be entitled to fees at the UK student rate and to the financial support options available to UK students. To qualify for the EU Settlement Scheme you must be resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 and apply for the scheme by 30 June 2021.

Irish nationals living in the UK or the Republic of Ireland will be treated the same as UK students for fees and funding purposes, due to the UK-Ireland Common Travel Area agreement.

UK nationals living in the EU, EEA and Switzerland may also continue to be eligible for Home/UK fee status, when entering courses at UK universities until 31 December 2027 (subject to meeting eligibility criteria).

Entering the UK in 2021 or later

If your course begins in January 2021, we strongly recommend that you enter the UK before the end of 2020 if possible, so that you can enter the UK without a visa and apply for the EU Settlement Scheme. 

The UK government has announced the introduction of a new UK points-based system. These new arrangements will take effect from 1 January 2021, once freedom of movement between the UK and EU has ended.

Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland will be included in the new points-based system, and will require a visa to enter, work, live and study in the UK. For most students, this will mean applying for a student visa.

After completing a degree course on a student visa, you will then be eligible for the new graduate immigration route (post-study work visa) to stay and work in the UK for a further two years – or up to three years after a PhD course.

Irish students

Under the Common Travel Area arrangements between Ireland and the UK, Irish nationals can enter, live, work and study in the UK without a visa. These rights are unaffected by Brexit, so Irish students do not need to apply for a student visa or for the EU Settlement Scheme.

Category one

Those who are settled in the UK

  • You must be settled in the UK on the first day of the first academic year of the course.
  • You must also be ordinarily resident in the UK for the full three years before the 'first day of the first academic year of the course'
  • The main purpose of your residence in the UK and islands must not have been to receive full-time education during any part of the three year period.

Students from the Channel Islands and the Isle of man

  • Undergraduate Island students will be charged the fee applicable to Home/EU students.

  • Postgraduate Island students will be charged the fee applicable to International students.

Category two

Those who are 'settled' in the UK and have exercised a 'right of residence' in the EEA and/ or Switzerland:

  • You are settled in the UK
  • You have exercised the right of residence after having been 'settled' in the UK
  • You are ordinary resident in the UK on the first day of the first academic year of the course
  • You have been ordinary resident in the EEA and / or Switzerland and/ or overseas territories for the three years preceding the first day of the first academic year of the course where ordinary residence was wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education, you have been ordinary resident in the EEA/Switzerland immediately before that three year period

Category four

EU nationals in the UK:

  • You are an EU national on the first day of the first academic year of the course.
  • You were ordinary resident in the UK and Islands for the three years before the first day of the first academic year of the course.
  • The main purpose of your residence in the EEA and Switzerland must not have been to receive full-time education during any part of the three-year period.

Category five

EU National/ Family members with the right of permanent residence in the UK

EU nationals acquire the right of permanent residence after a five-year period of uninterrupted lawful residence in the UK.

The 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.

  • You have the right of permanent residence in the UK under European Community (EC) law of the 'first day of the first academic year of the course'.
  • You were ordinary resident in the UK and Islands for the three years preceding the 'first day of the first academic year of the course'.
  • If your ordinary residence during the three years was for the purpose of receiving full time education, you must have been ordinary resident in the EEA/ Switzerland immediately prior to that three year period.

Category six

European Economic Area (EEA) / Swiss workers and Family members:

  • You must be an EEA national (non UK),Swiss national and resident in the UK as a worker, or be the spouse civil partner or child of such a worker.
  • You were ordinary resident in the UK and on the first day of the first academic year of the course unless you are an EEA or Swiss frontier worker, a relevant family member of a Frontier worker or relevant family member of a British citizen who has been working in another EEA country and/or Switzerland.
  • You were ordinary resident in the EEA, Switzerland or overseas territories for the three years before the first day of the first academic year of the course.

Category seven

Child of a Swiss National:

  • Must be a child of a Swiss national on the first day of the first academic year of the course
  • You must have been ordinarily resident in the EEA, Switzerland and the overseas territoriesthroughout the three year period preceding the first day of the first academic year of the course
  • You must be ordinarily resident in the UK on the 'first day of the first academic year of the course'
  • If your main purpose of residence was wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education then you must have been resident in the EEA/ Switzerland immediately before the three year period.

Category eight

Child of a Turkish worker:

  • Must be a child of a Turkish national on the first day of the first academic year of the course.
  • Your Turkish national parent must be ordinarily resident in the UK and must be, or have been, lawfully employed in the UK.
  • You must be ordinarily resident in the UK on the first day of the first academic year of the course.
  • You must have been ordinarily resident in the EEA or Switzerland or Turkey or the overseas territoriesthroughout the three year period preceding the first day of the first academic year of the course.

Category nine

Refugees, their spouse/civil partner and children (under 18 at the time of Asylum application)

  • You must be ordinary resident in the UK on the first day of the first academic year of the course.
  • You, your parent or spouse/ civil partner must have been recognised as a refugee by the UK government and remained ordinary resident in the UK on the  first day of the first academic year of the course.

OR

  • You must be the spouse or civil partner of such a refugee and you must have been the spouse or civil partner of that person on the date on which their application was made.

OR

  • You must be the child of such a refugee or of a refugees spouse or civil partner and at the time the refugee made their application you must have been under 18.

AND

  • You must have been ordinarily resident in the UK since you were recognised as a refugee or if you are the spouse, civil partner or child.
  • If you, your parent or spouse/ civil partner are recognised as a refugee after the start of your course you will be entitled to home fees from the start of the next academic year.

Category 10

  • Those not granted Refugee status but allowed to remain in the UK, their spouse/civil partner and children.
  • If you are applying for refugee status and it has not yet been granted you will not be entitled to home fees.
  • If you are not granted refugee status but are allowed to stay in the UK and have been granted Humanitarian Protection (HP) and have been an ordinary resident in the UK since this leave was granted. Under such circumstances you would be considered as a 'Home' fee paying student.
  • If you are the spouse/ civil partner (on the date of the asylum application) or child (who was under 18 at the date of asylum application) of someone who meets the above criteria then you would be considered as a 'home' fee paying student.

Fee assessment glossary

Settled

This means being ordinarily resident in the UK without any immigration restriction on the length of your stay.  Settled for this purpose is to have the right of abode, indefinite leave to Enter/Remain or have the right of residence in the UK under EC law.

If your passport describes you as a British Citizen then you have the 'right of abode'

The first day of the first academic year of the course

Relevant date:

  • 1 September-on or after the 1 August and on or before the 31 December
  • 1 January-on or after the 1 January and before the 1 April
  • 1 April-on or after the 1 April and before 1 July
  • 1 July-on or after the 1 July and before 1 August

Ordinarily resident

To be ordinarily resident you have to be habitually, normally and lawfully resident in the area (UK and islands, EEA or Switzerland) by your own choice.

If you were not ordinary resident as you or a family member were temporarily working outside the relevant area this may be classed as temporary absence.

Purpose of residence

This refers to your main purpose of residence not being for receiving full time education.

If you had not been receiving full time education then you would be living outside of the relevant area then this would imply that your main purpose would be for receiving full time education.

EU National

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

The EEA for residency purposes

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus (including northern Cyprus), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Swiss National

Relevant Family members

Spouse or Civil Partner - a definition of which is available from the UK lesbian and Gay immigration group.

Direct descendant of the EU national, or of the EU nationals Spouse or Civil Partner. Children must be under 21 or over 21 and dependant on the EU national, Spouse or Civil Partner.

Direct dependant Ascendants of the EU national.

Channel Islands and the Isle of Man

The fees for these islands are different to the standard home fees.

Overseas Territories

British Overseas Territories

Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie & Oeno Islands, South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands, St Helena and Dependencies (Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha), Turks & Caicos Islands.

Overseas territories of other EU Member States

Aruba (Netherlands), Faroe Islands (Denmark), French Polynesia (France), French Southern & Antarctic Territories (France), Mayotte (France), Greenland( Denmark), Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten) (Netherlands), St Pierre et Miquelon (France), The Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies (France), Wallis & Fortuna (France).

Turkish worker

Turkish national who is ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and who is, or has been, lawfully employed in the United Kingdom.

EEA/Swiss 'worker'

'Worker' is an EEA/Swiss national who is:

  • Employed
  • Self-employed
  • A 'Frontier worker' (someone who resides in the EEA/Switzerland but works in the UK and returns to the EEA/Switzerland at least once a week)

What is accepted as work?

  • The work must be in the UK
  • Can be full-time or part-time
  • If you give up work to start a course then you should still be treated as a migrant worker if your chosen course is related to your area of work.
  • If you become involuntarily unemployed (redundancy, end of contract) then you do not have to show that your course is related to your area of work.
    • It can be work that you are doing while studying unless the work is part of the course.