Question reference: S6W-22721
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Date lodged: 29 November 2023
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Current status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 14 December 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the residency eligibility criteria in the UK Government's Funding guidance for young people 2022 to 2023 including holders of Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visas, whether people from Hong Kong with a British National (Overseas) visa will be eligible for “rest of UK” tuition fees in higher education in Scotland, if they have three years of residency in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Answer
From Academic Year 2023-24 all students who meet the following criteria will be eligible for home fees status and student financial support in Further Education and Higher Education:
Ordinarily resident in the UK for three years prior to the relevant date;
Ordinarily resident in Scotland on the relevant date; and
Granted a form of leave to enter or remain in the UK, where that leave has not expired.
In the case where a student is instead ordinarily resident in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, but satisfies the remaining criteria, they would be expected to qualify for the “rest of UK” tuition fee rate of up to £9,250 per year. As the British National (Overseas) visa would be considered a form of leave to enter or remain in the UK, I would consider a student in the situation described likely to be eligible for the “rest of UK” tuition fee rate.
It is, however, the responsibility for each university and college, as autonomous bodies, to make a determination regarding a student’s fee status based on the available evidence and their interpretation of student support regulations.