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Will I pay Home or International tuition fees?

A guide to how we determine your tuition fee status when you study with us.

All decisions follow the UKCISA Framework for Fees guidance,  we are not able to make exceptions for any students. Our decision will always match that of the Student Loans Company.

Before you start your studies at the University of Hertfordshire, we need to determine whether you will be classed as a Home or International fee payer, you will be asked to complete an assessment form and provide some documentary evidence. 

Definitions of Home and International Students

The definitions on this page are only a very brief summary and there are a number of exceptions to the conditions listed.

For a full list of the fee status, please visit UKCISA - Definition of fee status assessment.  

The amount of Tuition fees will depend on whether you are a Home or International student, you will need to satisfy the University that you meet the requirements so that you can be placed under the correct fee category. The University may ask further evidence from you to complete their assessment.

HOME STUDENTS

Home students are those living in the UK or Republic of Ireland, and EU nationals with settled status in the UK. 

In order to be classed as a Home student you normally need to meet all of the following criteria on the first day of the first academic year of the course:

  • You are settled in the UK (This means there is no immigration restrictions on the length of your stay)
  • You are resident in the UK and have been for the full three years before the first day of the academic year. (Meaning your home is in the UK and you are choosing to stay and live in the UK. )
  • The main reason for you being in the UK was not to receive full-time education.

If you have acquired ‘settled’ status whilst studying you may be able to switch from paying ‘overseas’ fees to paying ‘home’ fees for later years of your course. 
If you think you might be a Home Student, you can check the UKCISA guide to find the category that you fit. UKCISA Guide

Temporary absence - If you have been absent from the UK in the three years before you start the course, you will need to prove you were lawfully living and settled in the UK during that period, apart from temporary or occasional absences.

  • Short periods of absence taken because of the COVID-19 pandemic or taking a gap year should not change your eligibility.
  • Temporary employment outside the UK may be acceptable, depending on your job circumstances and how long you were abroad/in the UK, and whether you kept your residence in the UK valid during this time.

There is no rule of thumb for what counts as a temporary absence, decisions are made on an individual basis. For guidance, refer to the full guide on UKCISA Website

EU STUDENTS - REGISTERING BEFORE 1 AUGUST 2021

If you are an EU student and start your studies on or before 31 July 2021, you will be classed as a home student. To be eligible you must:

  • register before 1 August 2021, 
  • be an EU national, or the relevant family member of a non-UK EU national, who is in the UK as a self-sufficient person or as a student, or the relevant family member of a UK national,
  • have been ordinarily resident in the European Economic Area and/or Switzerland and/or the overseas territories for the three years before the first day of the first academic year of the course,
  • have not been a resident wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education. 

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

If you do not fall under the home fee definition, then you will be classed as an international student.

From 1 August 2021, new EU students will also pay international tuition fees. 

Transferring to Home Fee - For academic years that start on or after 1st August 2024, if you acquire ‘settled’ immigration status during your course, you might be able to switch from paying ‘overseas’ fees to paying ‘home’ fees for later years of your course. This is one of the big changes that are being made to the rules about who pays ‘home’ fees for higher education in England. You can read about all the changes here - UKCISA - international student advice and guidance

If you have previously been told you did not qualify for ‘home’ fees, please check the UKCISA’s pdf guide, to  see if you meet the new requirements. 

 

If you are not sure in which of the above categories, you fall under - a full list and clarification is given in the UKCISA Framework for Fees of Higher Education fee status and there may be other Frameworks that you may fit into depending on your circumstances.

Remember that you need to meet all the criteria for any one category. If you do, you can request a review of your fee status for academic years that start on or after 1 August 2024 by contacting the Student Enrolment Team: sre@herts.ac.uk

Fee Reassessment

 If you have a query about your fee status, after your Admissions offer (whether you are classed as a Home or International student), you can contact the Student Enrolment Team (sre@herts.ac.uk),  they will send you a form for you to fill in to help us get some more information about your personal circumstances. 

  • If you need to complete a fee assessment form you will receive a link to the form via email.
  • Complete the form and attach any required documents as soon as possible to avoid delays. 
  • Not completing this form will result in delays with your registration process.

Please note that in busy periods our response times may be longer than usual.

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