Long Residency Eligibility Criteria

Overview

We intend to introduce new eligibility criteria for student support to allow people who have a long residential connection to the UK to enter higher education.

A recent Supreme Court judgement required the government to consider adopting more tailored eligibility criteria to those without settled status in the UK. The new criteria will avoid breaching avoid breaching the rights of similar applicants.   

Why your views matter

This consultation is seeking views on the Secretary of State’s intention to create a category for people without settled status to be eligible for student support where they have been resident in the UK for a long period of time and where, for part of that time, they have been ordinarily and lawfully resident. The Secretary of State seeks views on the potential impact of this option.

What happens next

The Department will respond to the consultation in 2016 and publish an Equality Assessment. It is our intention to amend the Regulations for the academic year 2016/17.