Clarity on EU student fee status

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28 May 2019

Responding to the Government’s confirmation of home fee status for EU nationals starting courses at universities in England in 2020/21, Russell Group Director of Policy, Jess Cole said:

“This announcement will be welcome news to the tens of thousands of EU students applying to start courses in England in 2020. Having clarity of their fee status is critical, especially in light of the continuing uncertainty over Brexit.

“To reassure these students further, the Government should guarantee their migration rights for the duration of their studies. Students starting courses in 2020/21 should be eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme regardless of whether the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

“Students from across the EU enrich campus life and bring benefits to all regions of the UK, making a positive impact on our economy. We want to ensure the UK remains open and attractive to talented students from Europe and more widely after the UK leaves the EU.”

Notes to editors

1. In 2017/18, over 23,000 EU-domiciled students started courses at Russell Group universities, representing 8% of all first-year students.

2. A study produced by London Economics for HEPI estimated that a single cohort of EU students contribute over £4bn for the UK economy, even after the public costs of hosting these students are taken into account: https://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Economic-benefits-of-international-students-by-constituency-Final-11-01-2018.pdf