Uncertainty with Study Opportunities for Foreign Students after Brexit

The UK is known for their highly ranked universities that attract yearly thousands of foreign students to enrol into them. Hence the rising fear after the 2016 referendum in the UK, regarding study possibilities turned nerve wrecking and confusing. Politicians seem busy discussing their trade and tax regulations, whereas the education sector is left in many cases unexplained.

A sector that contributes over 100.74 billion PLN to UK GDP, providing 944,000 jobs for the country, taken from an open letter from 150 universities. Evident questions regarding the rise of tuition fees or application processes are being left unanswered. There are simply unclarities, filled with possible scenarios in which ways it could affect international students.

International students that were not in the EU/EEA to begin with, will deal with the least changes, since they already had the lack of benefits to begin with. European students have still the chance to be left unaffected until late 2020 and be equally treated like before with same fees. The british government has decided that immediate changes won’t happen, no matter if they leave the EU this year in October or not. Also the arrival before the last day of December 2020 won’t be affected by immigration laws as well. Yet there will be a new requirement in form of a student visa, to be able to study in the future in the UK and their universities. Visa concerns are promised to be addressed by the government but is yet to be elaborated on, especially for graduating students.

Furthermore with newly introduced policies, it could be generally more difficult for international students to apply for british universities. One of the main reasons to bring Brexit forth was to set a limit in immigration processes, which international students are technically a part of. This gives now english taught majors within other European countries a chance to attract a new variety of students, who are not willing to go through the possible complex of a british application process.

The only possibility that could create a vast impact is a ‘hard’ Brexit, albeit possibly being avoided, which could ensue in much higher fees not only for European students but also for british students trying to study outside the UK. There might be even a chance that studying within the UK could become cheaper within a short time frame, after a very likely decline of the British Pound, after Brexit hits. Because the value of the Euro would increase alongside with it, leaving the british students in a more disadvantaged position in comparison.

Another question arises, how it could influence the demographics regarding those highly valued universities. Oxford and Cambridge as an example, leading within the Top 10 of renowned international universities in the entire world could lose points and numbers with the shift of student diversity. Callum from Scotland is one of the students, who fears those Brexit changes, especially since her country plans to stay in the EU.

“I want to study at the University of Lancaster”, she states. “First old people force me to study because otherwise I can’t get a job, now old people try to prevent me from doing so. What is the point?”

It can even stretch further to the teaching side as well. Professors that are from the EU might lose their job and create a crate within the educational aspect with a lack of academic teaching figures. Yet it is not clear in which ways foreign professors could be affected.

The negative impact on closing out international students can create worrisome results. According to 2018’s “Patterns and trends”, a report that deals with higher education purposes that includes application processes, important demographics within the sector and even financial aspects. Within the age group of 18-year-olds, 49% coming from a non beneficial household, there is a higher likability to apply for an university. From a financial perspective there was a total income of around 171.2 billion PLN, coming from universities that were collected from tuition fees. Which involves around 400,000 international students. A number already in the process of decline, due to the fear of Brexit results. Already 39% EU students that are non British, participated in the International Student Survey report “Harnessing Opportunities in Global Higher Education” and claimed that the likability to study in Britain became much less, than before. And with it the reputation of renowned universities decreases as well.

Euronews provides a clear overview over the current tuition fees from October 2018, which is the main concern for most EU students. British and EU students within England pay a fee of around 44 279.80 PLN per year. An equal position that would hold until the mentioned deadline of October 2020. Onwards it can raise to the amount students pay outside the EU/EEA, which lies between 52 657.06 PLN and 280 518.54 PLN per year.

The numbers within Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are pretty similar, solely the higher international students fees are not as high as the one from England. Just the Northern Irish students get an even lesser fee with around 19 913.94 PLN to pay. The prices are generally already on the higher side, where a few more thousands can be incriminating for less advantaged countries.

The british council offers a slightly clearer overview for the upcoming scenarios to come. The scenario with the UK leaving with a withdrawal agreement, a student visa won’t be needed, if arriving before the first day of the year 2021.That includes EU/EEA countries and Switzerland. With an EU Settlement Scheme that was recently opened in March 2019, a student can apply for a visa exemption, if they already live in the UK and plan to continue beyond 31st of December 2020.

Should the mentioned withdrawal agreement not happen, the feared limited immigration laws would apply, where we speak basically of a ‘no-deal’ situation. The results would involve a variety of application processes that allows a student a temporary stay of 36 months. A considerably small time frame. But the exact rules are not set to stone yet, since the british government is currently not touching upon those requests. Neither does said government indulge into a lot of loose threads like this situation, nor is anything visually displayed with anything beyond the deadline of 2021.

Sulaiman, who still works casually as a BBC journalist and participates in projects supporting Syrian refugees, speaks out on the tension regarding the immigration process within the UK.

“I see created communities with the goal to create a comfort zone [...] fall apart because they are being send back or even forced back.”

Though not all seem to have a pessimistic mindset, and don’t feel afraid with what the future holds. A study, released on 19th of March, called the “Graduate Management Admission Test” (GMAT), provides a rather positive mindset regarding international students. The business area within the study field looks like it does not seem included in the decline of applications processes. Since June 2016, where the referendum lead to the Brexit announcement, the numbers of business university applications did not decrease significantly. Over two years later in December 2018, the percentage of interest even increased from 46% up to 54% that leaves a hopeful glimmer. It can either mean that students want to apply still within old regulations and pressure themselves to finish studies in a rush or that the announcement of Brexit does not really impact their decision makings. Concluding that the demand for business school applications from international students within the UK is covered.

One last question remains that deals with the Erasmus+ exchange program. A program that is successful partnered up in 27 countries within the European Union. A popular option for students to travel to another country and stay for one semester or even one entire year and study at the respected university.

Same with EU students, who choose to study in the UK, also Erasmus+ students are allowed to continue without any changes until the 2020 deadline. After that, the British Council claims, there will be discussions of a continuation of the partnership that should not harm given opportunities for british as well as EU students for both sides.

Uncertainty over the impact of Brexit on international students’ interest in the UK remains. Despite some promising findings, the departure lingers over the heads.

The lack of information and mainly speculation shows clearly proof that the british government has difficulties to control the situation and cover crucial sectors for the future: the younger generation. All current discussion revolve around topics that deal with the older generation, disregarding the integrity of education and should be addressed more properly.