Rora Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Hi there, I'm new to the forum but I joined in the hope that I can vent out my frustration at the situation we found ourselves in and hope anyone can give us advice based on their experience. We are a UK family of 4 currently living in the UAE with plans to move to Queensland quite soon. Our children ( now 13 & 16) have lived all their lives here and were settled until we decided it was time to move to Oz as Permanent Residents. The dilemma is my son who has just finished his GCSE's in the UAE & is totally reluctant to move to Oz. He has been offered a scholarship at one of the schools there and he went to visit the school with my husband but he has a change of heart. He is extremely concerned about the education system, fitting in, and the fact that he'll have to join end of year 10 and hit the road running in year 11 (He had a look at year 10 books as well). He also has his mind set on applying to top UK Unis and dreams of joining the European Space Program! We've been trying to convince him that he could achieve the same through an Oz Uni but it's been hard. He would like to go to the UK and finish his A levels there. He has been offered a place at a state boarding school in the UK which he also visited and is keen to join. However, we are very much concerned about 2 things: 1- The cost of supporting him while he's in the UK (taking into consideration that we will be shifting from a dual-income household to a single income in Oz). 2- The chance of him deciding to do Uni in the UK and the risk of losing his PR Visa in Oz( not sure whether my husband can still sponsor him after he turns 18) Any advice or thoughts on this will be much appreciated. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Hi there,I'm new to the forum but I joined in the hope that I can vent out my frustration at the situation we found ourselves in and hope anyone can give us advice based on their experience. We are a UK family of 4 currently living in the UAE with plans to move to Queensland quite soon. Our children ( now 13 & 16) have lived all their lives here and were settled until we decided it was time to move to Oz as Permanent Residents. The dilemma is my son who has just finished his GCSE's in the UAE & is totally reluctant to move to Oz. He has been offered a scholarship at one of the schools there and he went to visit the school with my husband but he has a change of heart. He is extremely concerned about the education system, fitting in, and the fact that he'll have to join end of year 10 and hit the road running in year 11 (He had a look at year 10 books as well). He also has his mind set on applying to top UK Unis and dreams of joining the European Space Program! We've been trying to convince him that he could achieve the same through an Oz Uni but it's been hard. He would like to go to the UK and finish his A levels there. He has been offered a place at a state boarding school in the UK which he also visited and is keen to join. However, we are very much concerned about 2 things: 1- The cost of supporting him while he's in the UK (taking into consideration that we will be shifting from a dual-income household to a single income in Oz). 2- The chance of him deciding to do Uni in the UK and the risk of losing his PR Visa in Oz( not sure whether my husband can still sponsor him after he turns 18) Any advice or thoughts on this will be much appreciated. Cheers. Just remember that you will most likely have to support him at university in Australia anyway. As PR you will pay domestic fees (rather than international), but you will not be entitled to any student loan help whatsoever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 If he wants to aim for a top UK Uni then he would be much better doing A levels in UK. He has a couple of decision points really - if he does A levels then he still has a choice of Uni location - he may get into a good UK one or he may choose an Aus one if he misses you and you are still there. If he goes for the UK option then he will decide where to go for Masters/doctorate and Aus could still be an option at that point. Australian PR might be totally irrelevant to him as an adult and if he follows his chosen career path it wouldn't matter because chances are he would get a visa in his own right anyway if he needed it. He could, equally, end up anywhere between Albania and Zambia. As as for supporting him - well, yeah, them's the breaks of being a parent really. You could try and get some work which might keep the wolf from the door and fund his studying. Who knows, you may hate Australia once you get there and in 3 years time be looking at Canada. It sounds like he's a bright lad who knows where he wants to go in life and good luck to him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rora Posted August 7, 2016 Author Share Posted August 7, 2016 Thanks for replying Sammy1, we do realize that, but UK fees seem to be more when you do the exchange rate calculations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rora Posted August 7, 2016 Author Share Posted August 7, 2016 If he wants to aim for a top UK Uni then he would be much better doing A levels in UK. He has a couple of decision points really - if he does A levels then he still has a choice of Uni location - he may get into a good UK one or he may choose an Aus one if he misses you and you are still there. If he goes for the UK option then he will decide where to go for Masters/doctorate and Aus could still be an option at that point. Australian PR might be totally irrelevant to him as an adult and if he follows his chosen career path it wouldn't matter because chances are he would get a visa in his own right anyway if he needed it. He could, equally, end up anywhere between Albania and Zambia. As as for supporting him - well, yeah, them's the breaks of being a parent really. You could try and get some work which might keep the wolf from the door and fund his studying. Who knows, you may hate Australia once you get there and in 3 years time be looking at Canada. It sounds like he's a bright lad who knows where he wants to go in life and good luck to him! Thanks Quoll..Appreciate your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 You could get to him to read up on this guy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Thomas but personally it sounds like he's a mature, intelligent individual who wants to follow his dreams, and not yours so if possible I'd let him do what he wants to do. The most important thing we can give our kids is confidence and independence, and it sounds like you may have done a fantastic job of doing this for him! Has he looked into scholarships in the UK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rora Posted August 7, 2016 Author Share Posted August 7, 2016 You could get to him to read up on this guy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Thomas but personally it sounds like he's a mature, intelligent individual who wants to follow his dreams, and not yours so if possible I'd let him do what he wants to do. The most important thing we can give our kids is confidence and independence, and it sounds like you may have done a fantastic job of doing this for him! Has he looked into scholarships in the UK? Thanks for the link Diane, I will share it with him..there are always different routes to get where we want.. He hasn't actually looked in to UK scholarships..thanks for suggesting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Would he want to go to the UK either though, after UAE? Just wondering. Would have thought Australia would feel a bit more like 'home', relatively speaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rora Posted August 7, 2016 Author Share Posted August 7, 2016 Would he want to go to the UK either though, after UAE? Just wondering. Would have thought Australia would feel a bit more like 'home', relatively speaking. Actually even if we had stayed in the UAE till A levels, he would've wanted to go to a UK Uni. He has lived all his life in the UAE attending a UK curriculum school so this is what he knows and is familiar with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scuffythetugboat Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Lots of sand in Perth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Would you not be charged Internation fees in the UK if you live in UAE? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip1 Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Can someone please confirm something someone has put earlier. If you have PR you do not get any option for student finance? If that's the case then surely a big percentage of people that have made Oz their home will be unable to go to uni as unless you have tens of thousands it's out of reach. That would make sense on a temporary visa but permanent is permanent. Would appreciate it if anyone is able to confirm this, thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Can someone please confirm something someone has put earlier. If you have PR you do not get any option for student finance? If that's the case then surely a big percentage of people that have made Oz their home will be unable to go to uni as unless you have tens of thousands it's out of reach. That would make sense on a temporary visa but permanent is permanent. Would appreciate it if anyone is able to confirm this, thanks You have to be a citizen to access either HECS or VET fees Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Can someone please confirm something someone has put earlier. If you have PR you do not get any option for student finance? If that's the case then surely a big percentage of people that have made Oz their home will be unable to go to uni as unless you have tens of thousands it's out of reach. That would make sense on a temporary visa but permanent is permanent. Would appreciate it if anyone is able to confirm this, thanks PRs have to pay domestic fees but up front each semester, no HECS loans http://study.une.edu.au/app/answers/detail/a_id/1767/~/permanent-residency-and-hecs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip1 Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Thank you both for your replies/link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela3043 Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Hi... My situation is a little similar to yours. My daughter is 16 and just finished GCSEs in the UK. I am re-locating to Melbourne (visa permitting) and hoped she would want to come. After a few weeks holiday there and visiting schools she decided it was not for her (and I didn't want her to repeat a year). She wants to do A levels and uni in the UK. The Australian education system is very different than the UK's. If she moved to Oz with me we would have to pay international uni fees to study in the UK with no loan support. Although it will be hard and we will miss each other (she will live with her Dad) we have agreed to carry on the UK education route - she too aiming for top unis. There will always be opportunities for her to explore Australia at a later date should she wish and visit during holidays. Can't think of anything worse than living with an unhappy teenager! I think you have to let them start taking control of their own lives.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisH1 Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 He might find that the International Baccalaureate offers him lifestyle and access to the university of his choice: http://www.aaibs.org/ Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Actually even if we had stayed in the UAE till A levels, he would've wanted to go to a UK Uni. He has lived all his life in the UAE attending a UK curriculum school so this is what he knows and is familiar with. Unless the rules have changed since I was an ex pat. you need 3 years full time studying(or residence?) in UK before going onto to university, otherwise you are charged international student fees which are exorbitant, even though you are British. Lots got caught out by this rule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosiew Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Can someone please confirm something someone has put earlier. If you have PR you do not get any option for student finance? If that's the case then surely a big percentage of people that have made Oz their home will be unable to go to uni as unless you have tens of thousands it's out of reach. That would make sense on a temporary visa but permanent is permanent. Would appreciate it if anyone is able to confirm this, thanks If you think that is harsh, spare a thought for the British children whose parents return to the UK after 3 or 4 years in Australia. They are usually classed as international students - huge fees, no loans. That is why this forum is full of warnings to the parents of teenagers to seriously consider all of the potential downsides of emigrating at that time - which often coincides with the parents quickly reaching age cut offs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 Yes they are miserable sods the British- same with their 'fixed' pensions. Would Scotland be different, I was wondering? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rora Posted August 8, 2016 Author Share Posted August 8, 2016 Thank you all for your input and suggestions. Clearly there is no one best solution, and we need to make sacrifices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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