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Home reversion plans allow you to turn your home into money while still letting you live there. Sure, it sounds a lot like a reverse mortgage, but the two are not the same.

A home reversion plan allows you complete control over how much of your home you sell and just how much the bank owns. That’s right: a home reversion plan is not a mortgage! A home reversion plan is just you choosing to unlock some of the money in your home by selling just a little of it on your own terms. You can sell as much or as little as you like and can always sell more if the value of your home goes up and you wish to unlock more money. In contrast, a traditional reverse mortgage is still a mortgage and the bank will own your home just like with a mortgage.

The problem with all mortgages, even a reverse mortgage, is that it will need to be eventually repaid. If you die or decide to move out of your home, you, your family, and your estate will have to repay every penny you received from your reverse mortgage. Making things even worse, a reverse mortgage counts as a lien and is subject to interest rates which means that over time the money you got out of a reverse mortgage will blossom into having to repay more money than you got out of your home.  If the fees and money from your reverse mortgage aren’t repaid, you or your heirs may lose your home.

The money that comes from home reversion plans, unlike with a reverse mortgage, never has to be repaid. There are no fees outside of the start-up fees, no taxes, and no worries about losing your home as reverse mortgage plans also come with an ironclad Lifetime Lease to let you and your family live there as long as you live. When you die your loved ones will inherit any portions of your home held by you in the form of a tax-free lump sum or payments. You home can never be sold from under you as long as you live and may only be sold after you are gone.

Higher education doesn’t always come cheap, even in England. However, some universities are guaranteed to gouge your budget much more deeply into your current account than others.  Take a walk down the hallways of four of the most expensive British universities today.

The University of Buckingham

This college claims to be the only one in England that does not receive government aid, which may be part of the reason for the higher rates. Another may be the prestige of going to a university where former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was a Buckingham Chancellor.

The institution also packs an entire undergraduate degree into two years that consist of four ten-week terms each academic year, so students can fulfill their college requirements much more quickly. This may translate into savings for the college experience overall, although a full education at the University of Buckingham will still run British students about £15,500 per year. An international student can expect to pay nearly double, with an annual rate of around £27,000.

Imperial College London

While the cost of the Imperial College London may seem like a bargain at an annual rate of about £3,200 per year for British students, keep in mind that this program will probably not be completed in two years, such as the University of Buckingham, but in three years, like the typical undergraduate program in the UK.

Living costs must also be factored into the equation, with an extra year of accommodations added to the sum of Imperial College London. Financial support is available for qualifying students, including local residents, as well as students coming from Canada or the United States.

The Royal Academy of Music

The Royal Academy of Music is one of the top-rated conservatories in Great Britain, but it comes with a hefty price tag. Annual tuition rates range from just over £3,000 to more than £11,000, depending on the specific degree and field of study you choose. International students may expect to pay much more, ranging from £10,000 to more than £18,000 each year.

According to the Royal Academy of Music website, annual living costs for students are estimated at about £10,000 for a single academic year. Some financial aid is available, although government funding is no longer offered to students who already have a Bachelor degree.

The University of Oxford

The University of Oxford offers a long tradition of excellence in higher education, but it also costs a pretty bundle to attend this college. Undergraduate programs have an annual price tag of £3,290, no matter what field of study you choose. International students pay anywhere from £12,200 for Humanities and Social Sciences to £25,500 for a medical degree program. In addition, the University of Oxford website recommends that undergraduates budget about £6,800 to £8,000 annually for living expenses.

Higher education is always a pricey proposition, no matter where you go to school. British colleges that offer prestige and a long history of quality also tend to cost more than other universities in the UK. If you have your heart set on one of these prime universities, it is never too early to begin saving for the whopping cost of that college degree.