FEE STATUS QUESTIONNAIRE: GUIDANCE FOR COMPLETION

Transcription

1 FEE STATUS QUESTIONNAIRE: GUIDANCE FOR COMPLETION 1. Background Information You have been sent a Fee Status Questionnaire because admissions staff at the University of Liverpool have identified that you may not be a home student for the purposes of paying University fees. You must complete this questionnaire even if you do not believe that you need to do so. The level of tuition fee to be charged to a student is based on The Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007 (Statutory Instrument no. 779). Under these regulations students who are classified as overseas may be charged a higher level of fee than those classified as home or EU. 2. Completing the questionnaire This form is designed to be completed electronically. You will need to use Adobe Reader to view and complete this PDF form. You can download the latest version of this free software from Please note that Mac Preview, for Apple Macintosh users, will corrupt this document and should not be used. Please save your completed questionnaire to your My Documents (or other) folder on your own computer before ing it as an attachment to feestat@liv.ac.uk. Incomplete questionnaires will not be considered. It is important that you answer the questions accurately. The University must classify you correctly at the beginning of your course. If you are classified incorrectly then you may be required to pay a higher rate of tuition fee from the time you began the course. If your circumstances change between completing this questionnaire and beginning your course then you MUST notify the University immediately (contact your Department in addition to ing feestat@liv.ac.uk). If you do not then you may jeopardise any offer of a place to study at the University which you may have received. 3. Documentation to accompany your completed questionnaire In addition to a completed Fee Status Questionnaire you must provide scanned copies of the following documents as attachments to accompany your Questionnaire: Copy of your passport; Copy of your parents passport(s); Copy of relevant immigration documentation (e.g. Indefinite Leave to Remain); You may also be asked to provide additional documentation such as copies of utility bills, copies of bank statements, copies of fixed-term contracts of employment, birth certificates, marriage certificates. You should ensure that you have access to these documents in the event you are asked to provide them. If you do not return this Questionnaire you will be classified as an overseas student by default until you supply the necessary information as requested Page 1

2 4. Definition of a Home Student To be classified as a home student an applicant must meet ALL of the following criteria: i. the applicant must have settled status in the UK within the meaning of the Immigration Act (1971) on the first day of the first academic year of their course ; ii. the applicant must have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) for at least the three years immediately preceding the first day of the first academic year of their course ; iii. the main purpose for residence in the UK and Islands must not have been to receive full time education during any part of the three-year period. NOTE: It is not necessary to have had settled status in the UK for three years. Settled status is defined by the Immigration Act (1971) as being ordinarily resident in the UK without being subject, under the immigration laws, to any restriction on the period for which the person may stay. British citizens and people who have been granted Right of Abode or Indefinite Leave to Enter or Remain in the UK have settled status. Foreign nationals in the UK, who are classified as migrants under Tiers 1-4 of the Points Based System (PBS) (i.e. on work permits (including the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme), training visas, visitor s visas, dependant s visas, spousal visas or student s visas) do not have settled status and may not qualify for home fees. Asylum seekers do not qualify for home fees unless and until they have been granted one of the statuses described in section 6 below. You have been ordinarily resident' in the UK if you live there for all the ordinary purposes of living ; that is, if you have habitually, normally and lawfully resided in that area from choice. If, in the University s judgement, your residence is wholly or mainly for the purposes of receiving full-time education, this will not satisfy the residence criterion. 5. The first day of the first academic year of the course rule The fees classification criteria must be satisfied on the first day of the first academic year' of the applicant s course: Relevant date Where academic year starts 1 September on or after 1 August and on or before 31 December 1 January on or after 1 January and before 1 April 1 April on or after 1 April and before 1 July 1 July on or after 1 July and before 1 August In light of this, as your fees assessment is based on your circumstances as they are on this date, it is unlikely that your fee status would be reassessed later on in your course should your residential circumstances change and you believe yourself to be eligible to be considered a home student. Your assessment would continue to be based on your circumstances on this date for the entire duration of your course. Page 2

3 6. Other categories of home student The following criteria may also result in a home classification subject to the production of all requested supporting documentation: Students who meet the settled status requirements but who have not been ordinarily resident in the UK/EEA for the required period only because they, their spouse/civil partner or parents were temporarily employed outside the UK/EEA. Provision will be given for this as long as documentary evidence is provided to substantiate the temporary nature of the absence evidence is provided that sustained links were maintained with the UK/EEA throughout the period of absence. The sort of evidence we would require in these instances is as follows: 1. Evidence of the fixed-term or temporary nature of the employment overseas. This should cover the full period of the absence and explicitly state its temporary nature. A copy of employment contract(s) which demonstrate fixed-term appointments would be most appropriate. 2. Evidence of sustained links with the UK/EEA throughout the period of absence, in the form of utility bills or tax payments on a current property, copies of bank statements showing regular activity or evidence of income tax/ni payments in the permanent country of residence. NOTE: The payment of tax in the UK does not in itself satisfy the requirements for home fee status. Students on fully reciprocal exchange schemes. If you are studying in the UK on the basis of a formal student exchange between your institution in your own country and your UK place of study, you will not normally have to pay fees. If you do have to pay fees, these will be at the home rate. Students (or their spouse/civil partner or parents) who are nationals of an EEA member state or Switzerland and who are considered to be migrant workers in the UK on the first day of the first academic year of their course will be considered as home students provided they satisfy the three year EEA/Switzerland ordinary residence requirements specified in section 6 above. Students who are children of a Turkish national where the Turkish national is ordinarily resident in the UK and is, or has been, lawfully employed in the UK. The student must be ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands on the first day of the first academic year of their course and have been ordinarily resident in the EEA and/or Switzerland and/or Turkey for the three years preceding this date. Students who are children of a Swiss national living in the UK. NOTE: There is no requirement for the Swiss parent to be, or to have been, economically active in the UK. The student must be ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands on the first day of the first academic year of their course and have been ordinarily resident in the EEA and/or Switzerland for the three years preceding this date. If the main purpose for residence in the EEA/Switzerland was wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education, the student must have been ordinarily resident in the EEA and/or Switzerland immediately before this three-year period. Page 3

4 Students who can demonstrate that they would be ordinarily resident in more than one place including the UK. As with temporary absence provision will be made for this provided documentary evidence is offered to substantiate both settled status and sustained links with the UK in the form of habitual visits and residence. Evidence may include utility bills or tax payments on a current property, copies of bank statements showing regular activity, visa stamps to indicate a regular pattern of visits, or evidence of income tax/ni payments in the UK. Students (or their spouses/civil partners or parents) who have been granted Humanitarian Protection as a result of a refused asylum application, who are ordinarily resident in the UK on the first day of the first academic year of the course, and whose period of leave to remain is still current on the first day of the first academic year of the course or has been renewed and the new leave is current, or the outcome of an in-time application for renewal or appeal is being awaited. NOTE: Students (or their spouses/civil partners or parents) granted Humanitarian Protection as a result of a refused asylum application are not required to meet the three year ordinary residence requirements. Students (or their spouses/civil partners or parents) who have been officially recognised by the UK Government as refugees and who have not ceased to be ordinarily resident in the UK since they were recognised as such or, if a spouse/civil partner or child, since they were granted leave to remain in the UK. NOTE: Students (or their spouses/civil partners or parents) recognised as refugees are not required to meet the three year ordinary residence requirements. Students granted this status by the UK Home Office later on in their course would expect to be classified as a home student from the start of the next academic year. In the case of spouses/civil partners and children, you must be the spouse or civil partner of such a refugee or person with leave to enter or remain and you must have been the spouse or civil partner of that person on the date on which their asylum application was made. Students who do not have settled status but can demonstrate that they have long residence in the UK. To be eligible the applicant must have been, on the first day of the first academic year of the course; A) either: (i) under the age of 18 and have lived in the United Kingdom throughout the seven year period preceding the first day of the first academic year of the course; or (ii) aged 18 years old or above and, preceding the first day of the first academic year of the course, have lived in the United Kingdom throughout either half their life or a period of twenty years; B) ordinarily resident in England; C) ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and Islands throughout the three year period preceding the first day of the first academic year of the course; D) residence in the United Kingdom and Islands has not, during any of the Page 4

5 period referred to in paragraph (C) been wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education [unless the applicant is treated as having been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands due to either them or their relevant family member being, or having been, temporarily employed outside the UK and Islands]. Provision will be given for this as long as documentary evidence is provided to substantiate the long residence i.e. residence permit, visa, dependant s visa. 7. Definition of an EU Student Nationals (non-uk) of a member state of the European Union (EU) (see Box 1 below) will be classified as EU students if they have been ordinarily resident in the European Economic Area (EEA) and/or Switzerland and/or the overseas territories (see Box 3 below) throughout the same three-year period as described in 3(ii) and 1(iii) above. Relevant family members (see Box 2 below) of EU nationals (who are in the UK as a self-sufficient person or as a student) will be classified as EU students provided they meet the residence criteria as defined above. As with 3(ii), the main purpose of the student s residence in the EEA/Switzerland/overseas territories must not have been to receive full-time education during any part of the three year period. The EEA for the purposes of residential status is the area comprising the EU member states plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. For categories where the residence area includes the EEA, the residence area also includes the whole of the island of Cyprus (that is; including Northern Cyprus). UK nationals who have been resident (on a permanent basis) in the EEA (but not the UK) and/or Switzerland and/or the overseas territories will normally be classified as EU students. Under EU law, the fee charged to EU students is the same as that charged to home students. Non-UK EU nationals who have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for the three year period before the first day of the first academic year of their course will usually be classified as home students. If, during any part of the three year period, the main purpose for residence in the UK was to receive full- time education, the applicant must have been ordinarily resident in the EEA and/or Switzerland and/or the overseas territories immediately prior to the three-year period of residence in the UK and Islands for a home fee classification to be attributed. Box 1 You are an EU national if you are a national or citizen of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden or the UK. Box 2 Relevant Family Members Spouse or civil partner Direct descendants of the EU national, or of the EU national s spouse or civil partner, who must also be under 21 or (if 21 or over) dependent on the EU national or the EU national s spouse or civil partner The dependent direct ascendants of the EU partner. Box 3 The overseas territories are Anguilla, Aruba, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Ducie & Oeno Islands, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Territories, Greenland, Henderson, Mayotte, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten), Pitcairn, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, St Helena and Dependencies (Ascension Island and Tristan de Cunha), St Pierre et Miquelon, the Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies, Turks and Caicos Islands and Wallis and Futuna. Page 5

6 Additional Information Further details about the classification of applicants for tuition fee purposes at the University of Liverpool is available on our website: administration/money/fee-status/ The University s Fee Assessment Procedure for Applicants is available at: You may also wish to consult guidance materials available from the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA): Of particular use may be Ordinary residence: case law for fees and student support (UKCISA, 2009): For further information please contact Fee Status Enquiries: feestat@liverpool.ac.uk Page 6

7 FEE STATUS QUESTIONNAIRE Please your completed form and scanned supporting documentation to: Alternatively you may print your questionnaire and send it, with relevant photocopied documentation, by post to the following address: Fee Status Assessments Student Administration & Support Division University of Liverpool Foundation Building 765 Brownlow Hill Liverpool L69 7ZX United Kingdom SECTION A FOR COMPLETION BY ALL APPLICANTS 1. University Reference No. / Student ID Number FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Initials Date HOME ISLS EU OVERSEAS Status Entered Revised: 06 June Proposed Course (e.g. MA Archaeology) 3. Start Date of Proposed Course (e.g. 23 September 2013) 4. Family Name 5. Forenames 6. Nationality 7. Country of Birth 8. Date of Birth 9. Parents Nationality Mother Father 10. Spouse s / Civil Partner s Nationality 11. Correspondence Address 12. Permanent Home Address (if different from above) 13. address Page 7

8 14. Have you lived in the UK for the whole of your life up to the present day? Yes No If YES, please go straight to Section E If NO, please fill in section B, C or D, as appropriate, then proceed to section E If you are a UK National who was born outside the UK, or who has been ordinarily resident abroad (including the Islands) during the last three years, please complete Section B. If you are an EU National (other than the UK), or the relevant family member of an EU national, please complete Section C. If you were born outside the UK but are currently ordinarily resident in the UK, please complete Section D. If you were born outside the UK and do not consider the UK to be your country of ordinary residence, please go straight to Section E. In the following sections, the term ordinarily resident refers to where you have actually resided for all the ordinary purposes of living. It does not necessarily refer to where you consider your normal or permanent residence to be. SECTION B FOR UK NATIONALS BORN OUTSIDE THE UK OR ORDINARILY RESIDENT ABROAD (INCLUDING THE ISLS) DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS 15. In which country, or countries, have you been ordinarily resident within the last three years? (please list all countries and dates and continue on a separate sheet if necessary) Country Country From From Until Until 16. What date did you leave the UK? 17. If you have returned to the UK, on what date did you return? 18. What have you been, or were you doing, whilst living abroad? 19. If you have been, or were, living abroad because you, your spouse / civil partner, or your parents were working abroad was your, or their, employment: If on a permanent basis? on a fixed term contract? (you MUST attach evidence see below) on a secondment from a UK or EU employer? (you MUST attach evidence see below) employment was/has been fixed-term or on a secondment you MUST attach evidence to support both this your sustained links with the UK. This MUST include: Contracts with specific fixed-term dates; Evidence of a UK property which is available (i.e. not rented) to you; Bank statements and/or utility bills; Evidence of regular and habitual visits to the UK. PLEASE GO TO SECTION E Page 8

9 SECTION C FOR EU NATIONALS THEIR RELEVANT FAMILY MEMBERS 20. In which country, or countries, have you been ordinarily resident within the last three years? (please list all countries and dates and continue on a separate sheet if necessary you must account for the entire previous three year period) If you have been ordinarily resident outside the EEA and/or Switzerland within the last three years please answer questions below. If not please now complete section E. 21. When did you leave the EEA and/or Switzerland and when did you return (if applicable)? 22. What have you been, or were you doing, whilst living outside the EEA and/or Switzerland? 23. If you have been, or were, living abroad because your spouse / civil partner, your parents or yourself were working abroad, was their or your employment: on a permanent basis? on a fixed term contract? (you MUST attach evidence see below) on a secondment from a UK or EU employer? (you MUST attach evidence see below) If employment was/has been fixed-term or on a secondment you MUST attach evidence to support both this your sustained links with the UK. This MUST include: Contracts with specific fixed-term dates; Evidence of a UK property which is available to you; Bank statements and/or utility bills; Evidence of regular and habitual visits to the UK. PLEASE GO TO SECTION E Page 9

10 SECTION D FOR APPLICANTS BORN OUTSIDE THE UK WHO ARE CURRENTLY ORDINARILY RESIDENT IN THE UK 24. Have you, your spouse / civil partner or your parents been recognised by the UK Government as a refugee and have you continued to live in the UK since the status was granted? 25. Have you, your spouse / civil partner or your parents been granted Humanitarian Protection as the result of an application for asylum, and have you continued to live in the UK since the status was granted? Yes No Yes No If you answered YES to either Question 24 OR Question 25 then you MUST attach Home Office documents which prove your claim. Then go straight to Section E. If your answer is NO then please answer Questions below. 26. On what date did you enter the UK? 27. How long have you been ordinarily resident in the UK? years months 28. Did you enter the UK on any of the following: a British passport? an EU (non-uk) passport? a permanent residents visa? (e.g. indefinite leave to enter / remain) a work permit? (e.g. Highly Skilled Migrants Programme) a spousal visa? a dependent s visa? a student s visa? 29. If you entered on a visa, what visa do you currently hold? Please attach a copy of your current Visa. 30. When was your current visa issued and when does it expire? Issued (date) Expires (date) 31. Do you, or a relevant family member, have a pending application for British Citizenship, Indefinite Leave to Remain, or a Right of Abode in the UK? Applied (date) Anticipated decision (date) If you have been granted British Citizenship, Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, or a Right of Abode in the UK, then you MUST attach supporting documents. Page 10

11 32. Are your parents and/or family ordinarily resident in the UK? Yes No 33. If you have answered YES to Question 32 please provide the full correspondence address of your parents/family: 34. What have you been doing since you entered the UK (e.g. studying, working)? Please give details and dates. SECTION E FOR ALL STUDENTS Please indicate who will be paying your fees and living expenses during your University course. (DO NOT use this section to make speculative applications for University scholarships these must be applied for formally and separately). DECLARATION I certify that the answers to the above questions are, to the best of my knowledge, true. I acknowledge that the University will make a fee classification on the basis of the information I have given above and that, should the information given be false or misleading, the University retains the right to change the classification and therefore the fees payable, and that any offer of a place to study at the University may be jeopardised. I acknowledge that, should my circumstances change between completing this questionnaire and taking up a place of study at the University, I will notify the University immediately. NB. For electronic submissions: writing your full name in the box below will be accepted as an electronic signature to this declaration. Signature Date? Please submit your completed Fee Status Questionnaire with supporting documentation to: feestat@liverpool.ac.uk For further information please contact Fee Status Enquiries: feestat@liverpool.ac.uk Page 11