Unlike the college, who should regard you in exactly the same way as a UK student, all government funding bodies, including the Local Education Authority (LEA), will make a distinction between EU (or EEA) and UK students.

If you wish to claim benefits including Job seekers' allowance, housing benefits and discretionary local government awards the habitual residency rule requires you to prove you intend to stay in the UK long term, which will not be the case if you are only coming here to study. It will be expected that you are able to support yourself without recourse to public funds if you travel to the UK to study.

There are some exceptions, you may be able to qualify for some of these if you are an EU national that has been normally resident in the UK. Please contact your college or the relevant LEA to discuss your circumstances if you think you may be affected.

The educational funding bodies in your country may be able to offer financial assistance, and some educational trusts make awards for study abroad. You should contact these prior to arriving in the UK to study.

Remember, as an EU national you are free to work in the UK without restriction, and many London students are able to combine work with study, and enjoy meeting other Londoners outside the college, as well as the financial benefits.