Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the consistency of decisions made by higher education providers on the eligibility of students from the Cayman Islands for home fee status.

Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.

Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.

The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.

The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.

Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.

The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.