Understanding your fee status

Your fee status determines how much tuition you pay and the financial aid you are eligible for.

There are two fee statuses: Home or Overseas. Whether you pay a home or overseas fee depends on whether you meet certain criteria set by the UK government. All universities in England use the same assessment criteria, provided by UK Council for International Students' (UKCISA).

SOAS decides your fee status based on the information you give us on your application. We will let you know your fee status in your offer letter, but we may need to ask further questions.

Home fee status

In order to be eligible for home fee status, students usually must be a:

  • British or Irish national who has been ordinarily resident in the UK, Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, the EEA, Switzerland, or the UK overseas territories for three years prior to the start date of your course. 
  • EU national with settled or pre-settled status and you have been ordinarily resident in the UK, Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, the EEA, Switzerland, or the UK overseas territories, for three years prior to the start date of your course.
  • Permanent resident with Indefinite Leave and you have been ordinarily resident in the UK for three years prior to the start date of your course.
  • Family member of a British national and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for three years prior to the start date of your course.
  • Refugee: you or your relevant family member have been recognised by the UK government as a refugee or as someone with Humanitarian Protection.

The full guide for students paying home fees starting courses after 1 August 2021 is available to download: UK Council for International Students' (UKCISA).

Overseas fee status

All students who are not classified as having home fee status will be classified as overseas. An overseas fee status will usually be because:

  • you have not lived in the UK, Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, the European Economic Area, Switzerland or the UK overseas territories for 3 full years immediately before the start date of your course
  • you live in the UK but have immigration restrictions on how long you can stay
  • you have lived in the UK primarily for full-time education for three years before the start of your course

If you are unsure about what your fee status is, visit UKCISA for further guidance.

Querying your fee status at the application stage

Assessments are based on the information you provide at the time of your application. If you believe that the fee status you have been given is incorrect, you must complete a Fee Status Questionnaire prior to enrolment providing any relevant supporting evidence.

On receipt of the completed questionnaire and evidence, we will review the decision on your fee status and inform you of the outcome. It is important to resolve any queries about fee status before enrolling in a programme as fee status will not usually change during the programme.

The outcome of your fees questionnaire will be based on the information and documentation you have provided. If you feel that an incorrect decision has been made, please contact the relevant admissions team in the first instance.

Changes in fee status after enrolment

There are some rare situations where your fee status may change after enrolment - you will need to review the SOAS fee status assessment policy and procedures (MS Word) to see if you qualify. If a student is eligible to have their fee status reassessed during the programme, the new fee status will apply from the start of the next academic year.

A completed fee status appeal form (PDF) should be sent to fees@soas.ac.uk.

Appeals are assessed by the fees team and the decisions of the Panel are final.

Please note that reassessment is not applied retrospectively.

EU students: fees and funding 

Due to the implications of Brexit, there are many changes affecting EU nationals starting UK university courses from September 2021. An up-to-date guide with specific details on fee status and access to funding for these students can be found on the UKCISA website.

Contacts