Responding to the news, Universities UK (UUK) President Dame Julia Goodfellow said, “Students from other EU countries can now apply for places in undergraduate courses starting in autumn 2017 with the certainty that they will not have to pay up-front tuition fees and now have a guarantee that they will receive government-backed loans to cover their tuition fee for the duration of their courses. This announcement also guarantees that EU students commencing courses in autumn 2017 will continue to pay the same tuition fees as UK students.”
This is reassuring news for both universities and students. Rolf Tarrach, President of the European University Association (EUA) said, “The announcement gave the higher education sector much-needed clarity and has shown that the government acknowledges the value of EU students. We hope that this points to an understanding that we need to preserve student mobility between the UK and the rest of Europe.”
EUA and UUK agree that European and international students are a valuable part of cultural and academic life on British university campuses. As plans develop for a post-Brexit Britain, a commitment is needed to ensure that students, from Europe and beyond, are able to continue to study in the UK without unnecessary bureaucratic burdens.
The announcement was followed by a confirmation from the Welsh government that EU students applying for entry at Welsh universities in 2017-2018 would also be eligible for current levels of loans and grants. EUA and UUK urge the leaders of Scotland and Northern Ireland to issue similar reassurances.
