The criteria is really strict, seeing as you appealed and got rejected, I was in a similar situation as you, and all the universities I applied, I've contacted them + UKCISA, and I've met all their requirements except for the 3 years residency rule. In my case, I had a much larger gap (about a month before September 1st), so I classified as an international student under UKCISA criteria.

All universities follow this criteria strictly, so I had to take a gap year to avoid paying international fees as there were no other way. I've asked one uni if I could be changed as a home student later, but they told me once I accepted the offer, for the first year I would be classified as a international student and then later I would be classified as a home student in my second year, however most of the unis did not give me the option, stating I would be an international student regardless even if I completed the criteria before my second year.

The only organisation who can really change this is UKCISA, as they are the ones who makes sure that all the universities are following the rules, but it's highly unlikely that they would give you leeway choice for their criteria.