This article covers student finance from Student Finance England for courses starting in 2026/27. Living abroad makes it harder: your child generally needs to be a UK national, Irish citizen or have settled status, have their home in England, and have lived in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for the three years before the course starts. Families abroad may be able to qualify if the time overseas is accepted as a temporary absence linked to work, but that is a possible route rather than an entitlement.

For many expat families, the answer turns on the same residence tests that decide whether your child pays home or international fees. For the wider funding picture, see our guide to funding UK university for expat children.

The basic residence rule

GOV.UK says that to get both a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan from Student Finance England, your child must be a UK national, Irish citizen or have settled status, and:

  • their home must be in England
  • they must have been living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for the three years before the first day of their first academic year, apart from temporary absences such as holidays

A family who has lived in Dubai, Doha or Singapore for the last decade will usually fail the second point on the face of it.

Temporary absence: a possible route

The Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011 can treat someone as ordinarily resident if they were away only because they, their spouse or civil partner, or their parent was temporarily employed abroad.

Whether this applies depends on the facts. Your child would need to show that the family's time abroad was temporary and linked to work. Helpful evidence can include:

  • employment contracts covering the period abroad, ideally showing a fixed term or secondment
  • a family home kept in England
  • regular visits back and a clear, evidenced plan to return

Long postings, open-ended contracts and an uncertain intention to return are all harder to present as temporary. Student Finance England assesses each case on its own facts and may ask for documents. For fee status, the university's fee assessors make a separate decision, so the two outcomes are not always the same.

If you have a mix of nationalities in the family or live in the EEA or Switzerland, GOV.UK directs you to its online student finance checker, which indicates whether your child can apply and for what type of support.

What the loans cover

If your child qualifies, for 2026/27 the maximum Tuition Fee Loan is GBP 9,790 a year (GBP 11,750 for an accelerated degree), paid straight to the university. The maximum Maintenance Loan depends on where they live:

  • living with parents: up to GBP 9,118
  • living away from parents, outside London: up to GBP 10,830
  • living away from parents, in London: up to GBP 14,135

Maintenance Loans are means tested on household income, so the full amount is not guaranteed. Some students qualify for tuition fee support only.

If your child later moves abroad

A student loan from England remains repayable if your child moves overseas after graduating. GOV.UK says borrowers must tell the Student Loans Company if they are leaving the UK for more than three months, and not doing so can lead to arrears.

Illustrative example only, not a real client. Tom's father took a fixed term two year contract in Riyadh, later extended once, and the family kept their house in Reading. Tom moved back to start university in Leeds after three years abroad. Assuming the contracts and other evidence show the absence was due to temporary employment, Tom may be able to apply for full student finance, but Student Finance England will decide. A family who moved permanently to Riyadh eight years earlier, with no UK home, would find this much harder.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming British nationality alone guarantees student finance.
  • Not keeping contracts and evidence of UK ties from the start of a move.
  • Counting on the full Maintenance Loan when it is means tested on household income.
  • Leaving the UK after graduation without telling the Student Loans Company.

Whether or not your child qualifies for student finance in England, a plan that does not rely on it gives you more room. A regulated financial adviser can help you prepare for university costs. Get in touch for a free introduction.

Sources and further reading

Last reviewed: October 2026. Tax year: 2026/27; academic year 2026/27 (England). Jurisdictions covered: England, UAE. Rates, legislation and guidance change, so recheck before relying on this. Rules can differ between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; tax residence is fact-specific; treaty outcomes depend on residence, domicile or nationality provisions; examples are simplified and omit reliefs, costs, exchange rates and anti-avoidance rules. This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Take advice in the relevant country before acting.