Student fee status

As a student registered at UCL you are required to pay the tuition fee appropriate to your programme and to your status as a UK, an Overseas or a Channel Islands/Isle of Man student.

Special rates for EU/EEA/Swiss national students apply if you are beginning a programme no later than 31^stJuly 2021.

Find out about:

• How your fee status is assessed
• Eligibility for UK rates
• Appeal your fee status
• Change your status to 'home' after the start of your programme

Fee status assessment

Your fee status is determined in accordance with regulations published by the UK government. The relevant legislation is the Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007, No. 779) and subsequent amendments, as approved by Act of Parliament.

The UK government published, in February 2021, the relevant amendment setting out the position for fee status post-Brexit: the Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support) (Amendment) Regulations 2021, No.127. This will apply to students beginning their studies in August 2021 or afterwards.

In accordance with this amendment, EU, EEA and Swiss nationals and their family members will no longer have access to UK fee status unless they are covered by the citizens’ rights provisions of the EU Withdrawal Agreement, EEA EFTA Separation Agreement and Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement (the Withdrawal Agreements) – or if they are transferring to UCL from a programme at another UK institution which began before 1st August 2021. Additional requirements will also be in place regarding children of Turkish workers (as noted below).

UCL’s advice below concerning students beginning in 2021/22 is based upon the relevant legislation and amendments cited above, although there remain minor points upon which further clarification may be provided. Updated guidance may be provided on this page from time to time as UCL’s understanding of the amendment is clarified. You are advised to check here regularly.

The assessment of fee status is communicated via UCL's formal offer of admission. By accepting UCL's offer of admission you agree to pay the fees outlined in UCL's offer. In cases where an assessment of fee status has not been possible, or if the assessment is being queried, a fee status questionnaire will be sent to you. This must be returned within three months. Failure to return the questionnaire or provide any requested documentation will result in you being classified as Overseas for fee purposes.

The following UCL departments are responsible for making the assessment of your fee status:

Students beginning studies from August 2021

Eligibility for UK rates

This advice is provided on the basis of the relevant legislation and subsequent amendments and may be subject to change as and when minor points are clarified by the UK government. Please see UKCISA website for further details.

To be eligible to pay fees at the UK rate, you must normally be a national of the UK (or in specified cases the family member of a UK national), be ordinarily resident in the UK on the first day of the first academic year of your programme and have been ordinarily resident within the UK, the Republic of Ireland, the specified British overseas territories or the Channel Islands/Isle of Man (the “Islands”) for the three year period before the first day of the first academic year of your programme.

This is calculated as below:

Absences in connection with temporary employment or education are permitted. If the purpose of your ordinary residence in the UK, Republic of Ireland or the Islands has been wholly or mainly to receive full-time education, you will be ineligible for UK fee status.

If you are an EU national on the first day of the first academic year of the programme and benefit from protected rights under the EU Withdrawal Agreement, you will be eligible to pay fees at the UK rate. This includes EU nationals who are “settled” or “pre-settled” in the UK in accordance with the EU settlement scheme, Irish citizens and relevant family members of such persons. You must have been ordinarily resident in the territory comprising the United Kingdom, the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the overseas territories throughout the three-year period preceding the first day of the first academic year of the programme and, with specific exceptions, that residence must not have been wholly or mainly to receive full-time education.

A number of other categories of student are eligible to pay fees at the UK rate providing they meet all the residence requirements applicable to that category. These include those who, on the first day of the first academic year of their programme, are:

• EEA or Swiss nationals who are workers in the UK and benefit from protected rights under the EU Withdrawal Agreement, EEA EFTA Separation Agreement or Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement respectively. This includes EEA and Swiss nationals who are “settled” or “pre-settled” within the UK in accordance with the EU settlement scheme, Irish citizens and relevant family members of such persons. There is also provision for EEA and Swiss nationals who are “frontier workers”.
• Irish citizens living in the UK, Ireland or Islands (in accordance with the Common Travel Area arrangement) or in the EEA, Switzerland, specified British overseas territories or EU overseas territories.
• Children of Swiss nationals who have protected rights.
• Children of Turkish workers in the UK who held such status immediately before 31^st December 2020 and where both the child and worker parent were resident in the UK immediately before 31^st December 2020.
• Refugees and their family members that are recognised by the UK government.
• Persons granted Humanitarian Protection in the UK and their family members.
• Persons granted stateless leave in the UK and their family members.
• Persons granted section 67 leave, Calais leave to remain, indefinite leave as a victim of domestic abuse or violence or indefinite leave to remain as a bereaved partner
• Those with “long residence” in the UK (the precise requirements for this will vary depending on whether you are under or over 18 on the first day of the first academic year of the programme)
• UK nationals and relevant family members and persons settled in the UK who have been living in the EEA, Switzerland or EU overseas territories – subject to further residence requirements (please contact Admissions for further information) and who are starting a programme before 1^st January 2028.
• UK nationals and relevant family members who have resident status in Gibraltar as granted by the government of Gibraltar.
• EU nationals and relevant family members who have a right of residence in Gibraltar arising under the EU withdrawal agreement.

You may obtain further details from Access and Admissions in Student and Registry Services, by consulting the government regulations or obtain independent advice from UKCISA: The UK Council for International Student Affairs.

Information for current students and those beginning studies in July 2021 or before

Appeal your fee status

Once UCL gives its definitive assessment, which will be outlined in either your offer letter or correspondence following the completion of a fee status questionnaire, you have three months to appeal in writing.

Appeals are handled by the Director of Access and Admissions who will communicate the appeal decision to you in writing. The final right of appeal is to the Registrar and must be made within three months of the initial appeal decision.

If the fee status is undetermined at the start of your studies, UCL policy is to invoice at the Overseas fee rate. Should you subsequently be re-assessed as eligible for UK fees (or EU fees for those starting in July 2021 or before), the appropriate refund of fees would be made.

Change your status to UK after the start of your programme

UCL's fee status assessment remains in place for the duration of the programme with the exception of the following circumstances:

• You or a relevant family member obtains UK nationality and you have been ordinarily resident in the UK, EEA, Switzerland or overseas territories for the three year period before the first day of the first academic year of the programme and meet other specific residence requirements (please contact Admissions for further information).
• You, your spouse/civil partner, parent or parent of your spouse/civil partner obtains refugee status or Humanitarian Protection following an asylum application. This status must be obtained in the UK. Additional restrictions apply if you are seeking UK fee status as the spouse/civil partner, child or child of a spouse/civil partner.

Please contact Admissions immediately if you believe you fall into one of these categories to request that a review of your fee status be undertaken.

• Graduate programmes
• Undergraduate programmes
• Teacher training programmes

If you are eligible to have your fee status reassessed whilst studying at UCL this will be from the start of your next academic year, not from the start of your programme.