Home or overseas fee status

Key information about fee status

• You should have a clear understanding of the definition of ordinary residence and the concept of being settled in the UK. Clear definitions are provided by UKCISA.  
• You’re required to provide full and accurate information at the time of applying and before you register. 
• By signing the Registration Declaration, you’re confirming that the information you’ve provided at the time of registering is full and accurate. Changes to this information are unlikely to be considered by the University in a request for a change to fee status. 
• Fee status is determined at the start of your studies, not during the course.
• Once you’ve registered with an agreed fee status, your fee status is unlikely to change.
• The University's assessment of your fee status is for its own use only, and is independent of assessments that may be conducted by other organisations (eg student finance bodies, research councils, the NHS and other other universities). Other organisations may arrive at a different outcome following their assessment of your status.
• The rules regarding fee status are clear for most prospective students. However, there are occasions when students' fee status will need confirming by the university or universities they are applying to.

Determining your fee status

It’s your responsibility to clarify your fee status during the application process.

For a detailed explanation of each of the categories of people who are eligible for Home fee status, please see the UKCISA website.

Channel Islands and Isle of Man: If you meet the criteria for classification as a Home Student, you’ll be charged the same fee as mainland UK students.

If you think your fee status could be in question, you should:

1. Read the guidance provided by the UK Council for International Students (UKCISA).
2. Request a formal Fee Status Assessment from our Admissions Service via AskUS.

If you want advice about your own situation, UKCISA operates a telephone advice line where you can get free and specialist advice about your eligibility for Home fees. 

Alternatively you can contact the Student Advice Centre in the Students' Union.

How we assess your fee status

The Admissions Service will normally only undertake a Fee Status Assessment once you’ve been offered a place at the University of Sheffield. The ruling on your fee status is independent of the academic decision to offer you a place.

When assessing your fee status, we won’t take into consideration any decision which may have been made by another institution.

If you don’t request a Fee Status Assessment, and your fee status is not clear from the information you’ve provided in your application, the Admissions Service may write to you to ask for more information. You may be asked to complete a Fee Status Assessment form.

• Fee Status Assessment Form (PDF, 1.9MB)

If your fee status is clear from the information you’ve provided in your application, we’ll assume the information is full and accurate and we won’t write to you. Even if we don’t contact you before you arrive at the University your fee status may still be in question and you may be asked to provide further information during the registration period.

Once your fee status has been formally established, your University student record will reflect this. It’s your responsibility to bring any errors in your student record to our attention.

Changing your fee status after you’ve started your course

There are limited circumstances in which your fee status can change part-way through your course, for more information visit the UKCISA website. 

It’s never advisable to begin a course unless you have a guaranteed way of paying both your tuition fees and living costs for the entire length of the course. 

If you can’t pay your fees at the required time, your registration may be cancelled and you’ll still owe the amount of tuition fees that are due, even if you haven’t completed the academic year or the full duration of your course.

The assessment of fee status is normally based on your situation immediately before you start a course. 

If you can’t pay the Overseas tuition fee 

If you start your course and later find that you can’t continue to pay the Overseas rate of fee, you may need to apply for a leave of absence (student login required) while you secure the funds you need to pay the Overseas fees. This means that you take some time out of your studies and your place on the course is held open for you to return to. 

You cannot simply take a break from your studies and then be re-assessed as a Home fee payer. This is because you’ll be considered a ‘continuing student’ when you return from your break, and your fee status will remain as assessed when you originally started your course.

Reviewing your fee status

We’re not normally able to advise on which fee status we would allocate you until we’ve received a formal application. 

If you’re an applicant and would like to discuss your fee status, please contact us. 

If you’re a registered student and think your fee status may need to be reviewed, please email the Fees and Funding Team at financialdeclaration@sheffield.ac.uk.