EU citizen: Studying in the UK

Committing to a university course is a big enough life decision, let alone figuring out if you can afford it. Since the UK officially left the EU in 2020, many EU citizen’s living in the UK found themselves wondering what rights they would be left with and where they stood when it came to considering studying for a university degree. With this blog post, we aim to explain the different EU and EEA qualifications that will help you get onto a higher education pathway, and the different funding options you might be eligible for.

Eligibility for student finance in England

If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen living in the UK and you registered with the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) by 30 June 2021, then you’ll continue to be eligible for UK home fee status. This means that you will pay the same tuition fees as UK citizens.

Depending on how long you’ve lived in the UK (including the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man), you could be granted one of two statuses:

1. Settled status – awarded if you’ve already lived in the UK for five continuous years.
2. Pre-settled status – awarded for anything less than five years; once you reach five years of residence in the UK you can apply for settled status.

Student finance eligibility in England

If you have settled status, you’re likely to be eligible for tuition fees and maintenance support if you’ve lived in the UK and its islands for the three years before you start your course.

If you’re an EU national and have pre-settled status, you should be eligible for tuition fee support. In addition if you or a family member are a migrant worker you may also be eligible for maintenance support.

Are my qualifications enough to study for a UK degree?

Did you know that we accept most EU and EEA high school qualifications for our Foundation courses leading onto undergraduate programs? The infographic above explains the different EU and EEA country-specific qualifications and English language grades we accept, and the difference between settled and pre-settled status when it comes to student finance.

For example, if you’re from Romania, we accept the following qualifications if you wish to study a degree with a foundation year:

• Diplomă de Bacalaureat
• Profesionale
• Atestat Profesional
• Certificat De Calificare Profesională Nivel 3
• Certificat de Competențe Profesionale(de la Liceu/Colegiu)
• Diplomă /Certificat de Absolvire a Școlii Profesionale
• Certificat de Absolvire a Liceului
• Certificat de Absolvire a Ciclului Inferior al Liceului