Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2018 to Question 165451, Overseas Students: Immigration, what criteria his Department uses to assess whether an individual’s residence in the UK and Islands has been wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education.

Generally, to meet the eligibility requirements for student support, a student should be resident in England, have ‘settled’ status or a recognised connection with the UK and have been a resident of the UK and Islands (Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) for the three years prior to the start of the course.

Residence in the UK and Islands must not have been wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education, a requirement that has been in place since the 1960s.

Student Finance England determines whether an individual has met the residency requirements by considering applications for student support and accompanying evidence. Applications are considered on a case by case basis.