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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 EU, an Overseas or a Channel Islands/Isle of Man student.
Find out about:
- how your fee status is assessed
- eligibility for UK and EU 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 the Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007, No. 779) and subsequent amendments, as approved by Act of Parliament.
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:
| Programme | Assessor |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate programmes in the Faculty of the Built Environment | Faculty of the Built Environment |
| Undergraduate programmes in the Faculty of Laws | Faculty of Laws |
| All other undergratuate and Initial Teacher Training programmes | Undergraduate & ITE Admissions, Student and Registry Services |
| All graduate programmes | Graduate Admissions, Student and Registry Services |
Eligibility for UK and EU rates
To be eligible to pay fees at the UK/EU rate, you must normally be a national of an EU country, or the relevant family member of an EU national, and have been ordinarily resident within the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland or EU Overseas Territories for the 3 year period before the first day of the first academic year of your programme.
This is calculated as below:
| Programme start date between | First day of first year of academic programme |
|---|---|
| 01 August and 31 December | 01 September |
| 01 January and 31 March | 01 January |
| 01 April and 30 June | 01 April |
| 01 July and 31 July | 01 July |
In both instances, absences in connection with temporary employment are permitted.If you are a non-EU national, you must have been ordinarily resident in the UK for a 3 year period and have settled status in the UK by the end of that period. In either circumstance, if the purpose of your ordinary residence in the EEA/UK/Switzerland has been wholly or mainly to receive full-time education, you will be ineligible for UK/EU fee status.
A number of other categories of student are eligible to pay fees at the UK/EU 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/Swiss national “workers” and their family members
- the children of Swiss nationals
- the children of Turkish workers in the UK
- refugees and their family members that are recognised by the UK government
- those granted Humanitarian Protection in the UK and their family members
- 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)
- persons granted stateless leave in the UK and their family members
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.
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 or EU fees, the appropriate refund of fees would be made.
Change your status to UK/EU 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 EU nationality and you have been ordinarily resident in the EEA or Switzerland for the 3 year period before the first day of the first academic year of the programme
- The country of which you are a national accedes to the European Union and you have been ordinarily resident in the EEA, Switzerland or EU Overseas Territories for the three year period before the first day of the first academic year of your programme
- You become the child of a Swiss national
- 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 refer to the government regulations in such cases.
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.
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.