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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 restriction on the length of your stay).
  • You are ordinarily resident in the UK, and have been for the full three years before the first day of the academic year. (Ordinarily resident means that your main home is in the UK, and you are choosing to live in the UK.)
  • The main reason for you being in the UK was not to receive full-time education.

For a full set of fee status definitions, please visit the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website.

Refugees and those who have applied for asylum
Students studying at the sunny union cafe

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.

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

For more detailed information – and to see whether you fall into any of these, or any other category – please refer to the UKCISA guide 'Will I pay Home or Overseas fees?'

EU students who register 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.

I’m not sure if I’m a “home” or “international student”

If you’re confused about your fees and funding status, then the first thing you should do is contact the relevant admissions team (see list of contacts).

You should also get in touch with Student Finance England (or the relevant student finance authority) to discuss your eligibility for funding from the UK Government. Click here for contact details.

If you receive an offer and feel that you have been wrongly classified, you will be given the chance to provide evidence as to why you think your fee status needs to be changed.

Fee status classifications

Definitions

This is a very complex area and there are number of definitions, those included on this page are the main definitions used. 

For a full set of fee status definitions, you can visit the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website.

The first day of an academic year is considered to be 1 September (for courses starting in the autumn), 1 January (for courses starting in the spring) or 1 April/ 1 July (for courses starting in the summer).

Changes to your fee status during your course

In most cases fee status cannot be amended after you have registered, however in exceptional circumstances and in certain categories under certain rules you may become entitled to the lower fee rate. All requests from current students for a review of fee status should be sent to the Student Fees Officer using the email address studentfees@reading.ac.uk.

The exceptional circumstances under which fee status may change are listed on the UKCISA website.

Please be aware that if you obtain 'indefinite leave to remain' after the first day of the first academic year of your programme, your fee status will not change.

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