Will moving to Germany now affect my son's University Funding?

ndholt

I am based in Germany, my son currently (and has always to date) lives in England with his Mum.

After 10 schools, and a repeated problem with bullying, last year he finally settled down and started to show promise at school ... he's 17, re-did a year to get better grades so he could do A-levels, and he has a desire to go to Uni to study Physics (for which he has an aptitude and an interest).

The school has said he has to leave this year, they will not allow him to stay beyond 18, and he's having a lot of difficulty getting a place at college (his earlier grades were not encouraging).

One option I am considering is allowing him to Home-Study for his A-levels, over 2 years, with me in Germany ... he would still have to sit his A-Levels in the UK ... but would those 2 years in Germany mean he'd be treated as "non-UK" resident when applying to Universities in 2 years time?

Any guidance much appreciated,

Thanks

saintjammyswine

As an EU citizen he should receive the same funding & assistance as a home student. best to contact your local uni and ask one of their international advisors, usually advise students coming here to study but will be aware of European rules.

A Levels may be able to be taken in Germany as many Universities & Colleges have links to providers here and so a UK exam may be taken abroad. I am taking a flyer here but are you in the forces, if so it is more likely he could take a UK exam on/around bases.

ndholt

Thanks saintjammyswine ... I'll check that out.

No, not in the forces ... I'm an engineer ... came to Germany for 3 months (8 years ago) ... been here most of the time since. I'd like to come back to the UK but the current crisis killed the job market ... so I'm doing what I can and wait for better times.

MrsManda

It may be worth posting on the student board as this issue is not necessarily straightforward and there are people on the student board who assess student finance applications for a living.

Oldernotwiser

saintjammyswine wrote: »

As an EU citizen he should receive the same funding & assistance as a home student. best to contact your local uni and ask one of their international advisors, usually advise students coming here to study but will be aware of European rules.

.

This is true as far as fees go but isn't the case for maintenance funding, which isn't normally available to EU students.

I think the OP's son could face a lot of problems with this plan.

ETA. In some areas, colleges have stopped doing A levels and this may be the problem, rather than his grades. If that's the case, it could be worth looking at a course like a BTEC National in Science which is a qualification at the same level as A levels

SarEl

A few things I would add too are that (a) unless he is exceptionally motivated many youing people of his age would lack the discipline to study alone (b) there is value in both social interaction in education and competition - having peers to help you think through problems, plus a bit of "I want to do better than Johnny/Sylvia or whoever never harmed anyone and (c) two years of home study may make it hard for him to transition to university life; the transition from college to university isn't always smooth because the expectations on students are so different, and home study is miles from university life - as you will probably recall because I do! Maybe another way forward might be to either consdier, if it is affordable, enrolling him in a fee paying college / sixth form (rules are meant to be broken if you pay for the privilege) or even maybe working with him to sharpen his sales tactics - many colleges are less concerned about former results if they feel that the student has a real potential and enthusiasm that outweighs some disappointing results. I know my friends son had similar problems (although in his case his lack of achievement stemmed from stupidity - although no lack of intelligence, it was engaging anything but his brain in any given situation - and had to work hard to convince a college to give him a chance. But he did, and he has proved that he could do it - and engage his brain!

DVardysShadow

ndholt wrote: »

I am based in Germany, my son currently (and has always to date) lives in England with his Mum.

After 10 schools, and a repeated problem with bullying, last year he finally settled down and started to show promise at school ... he's 17, re-did a year to get better grades so he could do A-levels, and he has a desire to go to Uni to study Physics (for which he has an aptitude and an interest).

The school has said he has to leave this year, they will not allow him to stay beyond 18, and he's having a lot of difficulty getting a place at college (his earlier grades were not encouraging).

....

One option I am considering is allowing him to Home-Study for his A-levels, over 2 years, with me in Germany ... he would still have to sit his A-Levels in the UK ... but would those 2 years in Germany mean he'd be treated as "non-UK" resident when applying to Universities in 2 years time?

You are in Germany and an option is for him to study [alone?] for UK A levels?

I would say that if you take a longer view, it is a heap of opportunity for him if you can get him socially involved in Germany to the extent that he can strike out on his own.

orangeslimes

ndholt wrote: »

One option I am considering is allowing him to Home-Study for his A-levels, over 2 years, with me in Germany ... he would still have to sit his A-Levels in the UK ... but would those 2 years in Germany mean he'd be treated as "non-UK" resident when applying to Universities in 2 years time?

I think it is quite complicated and you need to read through the regulations. I would guess he might still count for UK funding (but I am not sure). Though sometimes those with EU funding might be better off?

Does your son want to study for his A-levels at home in Germany? How would you make sure he had a social life? Could you send him to an English speaking school in Germany?