R (Bidar) v London Borough of Ealing, SS for Education and Skills[1] is an EU law case, concerning the free movement of citizens in the European Union.

He received assistance with tuition fees (following Gravier v City of Liège), but his application for a student loan was refused on the ground that he did not have ‘settled’ status.

[2] The Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice held that Bidar could not be denied the student loan on the basis that he did not have settled status.

He was entitled under TFEU art 18 to social assistance benefits, and these included maintenance costs through subsidised loans or grants.

The three year rule was compatible with EU law, but the requirement to have settled status was not, because it was impossible for a student from another member state to obtain it.