Chortlepuss Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Hi Has anyone moved back with a teenage child at 'A' Level stage? I have been doing some investigation and it seems that my local 6th form college would view my child as an overseas student (been in Oz 7 years), and the charges per A level are quite unbelievable (7.5K pounds!) Remote study is charged at about 350 quid per A level - perfectly do-able and as he's reasonably focussed this could be an option - But do universities discriminate against people with A levels gained this way? I'd love to hear views/experiences Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I think you'd have trouble at University stage as well as lst I heard you had to have been living n the country for three years prior to admission or you get charged international fees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I wouldn't imagine they'd discriminate if it's a legitimate way of getting A levels, the exams will be the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikey Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Wow the overseas student thing is an eye opener. as for remote study....it would b like homeschooling? My belief is that home schooled kids do better at gcse but I have no knowledge of alevel or getting into uni. Lots of websites tho im sure u can find out. the local council will have a person u can ring, they might know as well the only thing I do know is that alevels alone wont get u a uni place, they defo want extra curricula stuff and generally homeschool kids will have this in spades.... u will have to pay any resits or remarkings of papers U will getno help with books but again those websites do swaps Hi Has anyone moved back with a teenage child at 'A' Level stage? I have been doing some investigation and it seems that my local 6th form college would view my child as an overseas student (been in Oz 7 years), and the charges per A level are quite unbelievable (7.5K pounds!) Remote study is charged at about 350 quid per A level - perfectly do-able and as he's reasonably focussed this could be an option - But do universities discriminate against people with A levels gained this way? I'd love to hear views/experiences Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docboat Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 We have been looking at options. Early days, as both boys are in primary school still. And yet ... we are looking at the options of taking IB in high school - as this would this open up USA schools as well. Then we have the planning for making an option work. If you choose UK universities, then you absolutely need to be resident in the UK for 3 years prior. by that time I expect - hope - that Scotland is independent, and that the schooling policy is more inclusive - St Andrews is just one of some excellent options. But what the heck - if it needs to have 3 years residency, and the boys choose that country, then we will look at boarding schools. Australian education is also an excellent option - depending on the type of course as well. It is an up and coming area of international revenue as Asian students flock here for schooling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikey Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 2 years alevel plus gap year equals 3 years..... We have been looking at options. Early days, as both boys are in primary school still. And yet ... we are looking at the options of taking IB in high school - as this would this open up USA schools as well. Then we have the planning for making an option work. If you choose UK universities, then you absolutely need to be resident in the UK for 3 years prior. by that time I expect - hope - that Scotland is independent, and that the schooling policy is more inclusive - St Andrews is just one of some excellent options. But what the heck - if it needs to have 3 years residency, and the boys choose that country, then we will look at boarding schools. Australian education is also an excellent option - depending on the type of course as well. It is an up and coming area of international revenue as Asian students flock here for schooling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eera Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 But what the heck - if it needs to have 3 years residency, and the boys choose that country, then we will look at boarding schools. QUOTE] Doesn't normally count; the exact phrase we used to assess home status was "have you been resident in the UK for the previous three years for reasons other than education?" Don't forget, academic institutions normally have discretion over the status of applicants; if you can show you have permanantly migrated (got a job, bought a house etc), you may be assessed as home status. If in doubt, ask the institution. Student Loans Company tend to be less forgiving though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 How does the European loophole affect education costs in the UK? I think I read somewhere that you only need to live and work in Europe for a short time (3 mnths?) to get european citizenship, which then lets you live and work in the UK - would that mean you wouldn't then be treated as an international student? Anyone know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Is that £7.5k per A level? That's scary! Have you looked at private schools. They're cheaper than that and generally smaller classes at sixth form. The school ours are at is just under £11k a year. Would a state school, rather than a sixth form college, not be an option? Or do they charge the same amount? Another option might be a state boarding school? A quick look at this http://www.sbsa.org.uk says you must be a British passport holder - no mention of residency, so might be worth looking at? The fees are around £8.5k for the boarding and tuition is free. Otherwise I'm sure A levels gained remotely would be looked at quite favourably by the universities - they will show an ability to study independently, commitment and good time management. All good qualities. The only thing your son wouldn't get is support filling in ucas forms and personal statement writing for university, but there are good online resources such as the Student Room to help with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 That's interesting - this is a quote from another 6th form college which seems to indicate they don't charge in this case (St Brendan's in Bristol) If you are a citizen of the UK or EEA (EU and Iceland, Lichtenstein, Switzerland and Norway) please see 1 below. If you are NOT a citizen of the UK or EEA please see 2 below. a. If you are a citizen of the UK or EEA and aged 16-18 years old at the start of your course, you will not be charged tuition fees since the college receives full fees for your tuition. b. If you are a citizen of the UK or EEA and aged 19 or over at the start of your course, the college only receives a portion of the cost of your tuition from its funding body, the Learning and Skills Council. You may be charged the remainder of the cost of your tuition. Please contact admin@stbrn.ac.uk for clarification on fees payable. a. If you are NOT a citizen of the UK or EEA and aged 16-18 years old at the start of your course, AND are accompanying parents who have the right of abode or leave to remain in the UK, you will not be charged tuition fees since the college receives full fees for your tuition. b. If you are NOT a citizen of the UK or EEA you will be charged full tuition fees since the college receives no other source of income for your tuition and here is another - if they are 16-18 with a parent with leave to reside (as you would as citizens) then they should be ok (from Blackpool) In order to qualify as a "home" student one of the following needs to apply: You will have been "ordinarily resident" and "settled" in the UK for 3 years before you begin your course You are a child of a European Community national and you have been resident in a member state of the European Community for the 3-year period immediately before you begin your course You are 16-18 and accompanying parents who have leave to enter and reside in the UK You have a full UK passport showing British citizenship and have been resident in the UK or EU for three years immediately prior to starting your course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I wouldn't recommend remote study for A levels - it is quite a leap from GCSE's and probably even more difficult without having done GCSE's. I taught A levels for 7 years and it is as much about imparting skills as it is about knowledge and you can't get that from home study - unless you or your partner have those skills to share? Universities wouldn't discriminate but the achieved grades might be lower as a result. More importantly 6th form isn't just about study, it is a preparation for university in lots of other ways, learning to deal with romance, drinking, drugs....and especially after being away for 7 years in a different culture establishing a peer group will be important. Of course it depends on the individual and hopefully the 16-18 year old with parents with right to reside will cover it! This ruling has hit my husband who wanted to go to do photography at college - I understand the reasons but to be born and bred in the UK for 45 years, be out for 5 and find you are worse off than an EU migrant is frustrating! He's not 16-18 (unfortunately!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikey Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I didnt think my economics alevel teacher was up to much so I skipped all his lessons and taught myself from the letts study guide.....got a higher mark than anyone else in my class! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I didnt think my economics alevel teacher was up to much so I skipped all his lessons and taught myself from the letts study guide.....got a higher mark than anyone else in my class! But you would be learning the A level study and exam skills in other classes and have the benefit of peers around you. I'm not saying it can't be done - I did Biology 'OA' level from a 'Key Facts' book - I only got a C (but exams were hard in them days LOL) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikey Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 That's true...both bits!!! But you would be learning the A level study and exam skills in other classes and have the benefit of peers around you. I'm not saying it can't be done - I did Biology 'OA' level from a 'Key Facts' book - I only got a C (but exams were hard in them days LOL) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortlepuss Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 Thanks everyone. He's desperate to go back to the UK to study. We want to return too, but can't afford to pay overseas fees - our local 6th form college (which is really good) would treat him as an overseas student. He's in year 12 of IB study here but has chosen the wrong subjects. I was just exploring options for the 3 year requirement for residency and taking A levels in additional subjects could be an option. Many of the kids where I'm from (south coast) seem to be having a hard time getting temporary work, so further study would keep him busy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortlepuss Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share Posted February 5, 2014 Just an update - got a mail from the college saying as a UK passport holder he should be treated as a domestic student. So A levels + gap year = domestic student at university! Oh and it wasn't 7.5K per A level - was for A level study, I wasn't thinking straight - so even that would have been do-able. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Thought I hadn't heard of it being that much before :smile:. That's great news! I'm doing the rounds of post offer open days at unis atm with my middle daughter. It's so exciting - I wish I was going! My eldest is on a gap year this year, as are several of her friends. They're all doing different things and having a great time. Good luck to you and your son - I hope he has a fun few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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