Studying in the UK with EU Settlement Scheme or ILR: Home Fees and Student Finance (2026)

Quick answer

Settled Status, Pre-Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme and Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) all give you Home fee status in England and access to Student Finance England. That means a Tuition Fee Loan covering the full capped fee and a Maintenance Loan of up to GBP 13,762 per year, even if you are 21 or over, have never studied before and hold no formal qualifications.

At a glance

Settled Status (EUSS): Home fees plus full Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan, with 3 years UK or EEA residence
Pre-Settled Status (EUSS): Home fees plus Tuition Fee Loan, and Maintenance Loan where the residence history is met
Indefinite Leave to Remain or Enter: Home fees plus full package with 3 years UK residence
Refugee or humanitarian protection: Home fees plus full package, no 3 year wait
Student visa holders: international fees, no Student Finance

Why fee status matters more than anything else

International tuition at a UK university runs from GBP 15,000 to GBP 30,000 per year and must be paid up front. Home tuition is capped at GBP 9,535 at universities and GBP 6,935 at designated alternative providers such as GBS, and it is paid for you by Student Finance England directly to the provider. You never see the money and you never pay it up front.

Getting the fee status assessment right is therefore worth tens of thousands of pounds. Providers assess it themselves using a fee status questionnaire, and they can get it wrong when your immigration history is complicated. Always send your evidence early.

Evidence you will be asked for

EUSS: a share code generated at gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status, valid 90 days, plus your passport or national ID
ILR: your Biometric Residence Permit, eVisa share code, or the vignette in an old passport
Residence: utility bills, tenancy agreements, HMRC employment records or GP registration covering the 3 years before the course
Name changes: marriage certificate or deed poll if documents do not match

The 3 year ordinary residence rule

For most categories you must have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for the 3 years immediately before the first day of the academic year, and that residence must not have been wholly or mainly for the purpose of full-time education. Short holidays abroad do not break it. Long absences can, so keep evidence.

Exceptions with no 3 year wait: refugees and their family members, people with humanitarian protection, and certain Ukraine and Afghanistan resettlement schemes.

Can I study at 21+ with no qualifications on this status?

Yes. Immigration status and academic entry are two separate questions. Your status decides how you pay. Your provider decides whether you get in, and mature entry routes at GBS, the Open University, Birkbeck, Arden and most post-1992 universities accept work experience, an Access to HE Diploma or a foundation year instead of A-Levels. See our list of universities that accept mature students without qualifications.

Common mistakes

Applying as an international student by habit when you already hold ILR. Ask for a fee status reassessment.
Letting Pre-Settled Status expire. Upgrade to Settled Status as soon as you hit 5 years.
Assuming a second degree is funded. If you already hold an honours degree, the Tuition Fee Loan is usually not available.
Leaving the Student Finance application until August. Apply in spring for a September start.

What to do next

1. Confirm your status and generate a share code
2. Pick a provider and course with an intake that suits you
3. Get the offer, then apply at gov.uk/student-finance
4. Send fee status evidence to the provider's admissions team in writing

Run a free eligibility check at lightningenrolment.com/eligibility, or estimate your funding with the maintenance loan calculator.