British passport holders living in the European Union will no longer automatically qualify for home fee status at UK universities from 2028, marking the end of a temporary post-Brexit arrangement. The change is also expected to remove access to UK government student finance for many affected students.
The rule will primarily affect British teenagers living in EU countries who intend to begin university courses in the UK from 2028 onwards. According to The Guardian, the first students likely to be impacted are those starting their A-levels, or equivalent qualifications, this autumn.
The existing arrangements were introduced as transitional protections following Brexit. Once they expire, eligibility for home tuition fees will depend on meeting the standard residency requirements rather than simply holding British citizenship.
Students May Face International Fees and Lose Access to Government Loans
From courses beginning in 2028, students must have been ordinarily resident in the UK for the three years before the first day of their degree to qualify for home fee status. According to immigration lawyer Julie Moktadir, partner and head of immigration law at Stone King, British nationals and their families living in the EU will otherwise be treated as international students.
The financial difference can be substantial. Domestic tuition fees for the 2026 intake are capped at £9,790, while universities are free to set their own fees for overseas students. According to The Guardian, overseas students studying economics at the University of Warwick will pay £35,530 per year in 2026, while law at the University of Leeds costs £26,750 annually for international students.
Moktadir also said that students who lose home fee status will no longer be eligible for UK government loans covering tuition fees and maintenance costs. She noted that the rules are applied differently across the UK’s devolved nations, with Scotland operating a more complex fee structure.
Individual universities may retain some discretion when assessing fee status in particular cases. Even where an institution decides a student qualifies for home fees, however, student finance providers remain bound by the official eligibility rules, meaning government loans may still not be available.
Families Reassess Future Plans as Transitional Protections Come to an End
For some British families living in Europe, the approaching deadline has prompted difficult decisions about where to live before their children reach university age. According to The Guardian, James and Amy Thompson, who moved to Germany in 2021 for James’s work with BMW, originally planned a temporary relocation before extending their stay.
Their daughter Isla, now 16, hopes to study natural sciences at the University of Cambridge. The family told the newspaper that remaining in Germany could mean paying international tuition fees. Cambridge currently charges home students £9,250 for the course, while international students pay £44,214, alongside college fees starting at £11,500 depending on the college.
Moktadir said that, aside from relocating to the UK at least three years before a course begins, there is little prospective students and their parents can do beyond familiarising themselves with the new rules. She added that although some universities may offer scholarships or awards, these are unlikely to offset the full financial impact for many families.
Universities UK said the post-Brexit home fee provision “was always a temporary clause providing transitionary protections for UK expats in the EU“. The organisation also noted that the changes bring this group into line with the rules already applied to UK nationals living elsewhere in the world. Moktadir added that some people may still be able to demonstrate ordinary residence in more than one country, provided they can produce evidence such as bank statements, utility bills and tax records, meaning eligibility after 2028 will depend on individual circumstances.
