British ambassador John Marshall says that EU students having to pay international fees at UK universities is “a natural consequence of our decision to leave the European Union”. Patrick Galbats (archives)

British ambassador John Marshall says that EU students having to pay international fees at UK universities is “a natural consequence of our decision to leave the European Union”. Patrick Galbats (archives)

With the end of the transition period approaching at a fast pace, the uncertainty amongst students currently studying or wanting to enroll at a UK university in the future is growing.

Whereas UK nationals living in an EU country as well as EU citizens have formerly been subject to the same conditions and fees as UK home students, procedures will inevitably change as of January 2021.

International tuition fees

‘’For EU nationals, anyone who has started the academic year 2020/2021 is governed by the commitment that they will continue to pay home fees for the duration of their course.

However, those who start in September 2021, or after, will need to pay international fees. This is a natural consequence of our decision to leave the European Union in that up until now only UK residents and EU citizens by virtue of a sort of nondiscrimination rule were eligible for home fees and everyone else, including British nationals who had not lived in the UK or the EU for the last three years paid international fees. So, from next year EU citizens will pay the same fees as other international students,’’ said Marshall.

This means that tuition fees for EU citizens enrolling in 2021, and after, will rise drastically. However, the same is not true for UK nationals who live in the EU, as the British ambassador stated.

‘’British nationals who are living in the EU have a transition period of seven years during which they will be eligible for home fees. At the end of that seven-year transition period they will be in the same position as British nationals living elsewhere in the world who have not been resident in the UK for the past three years.’’

The EU settlement scheme and student visas

Another adjustment for those who are not UK nationals will be the need for a visa in order to be able to study or work in the UK.

‘’A new points-based immigration system will come into force from beginning of January next year and we have details of a student route under this immigration system which sets out how EU students wanting to study in the UK can obtain a visa.’’

This is of particular relevance to those who will be starting their studies in 2021 or after as those who are currently already studying in the UK have been and are still able to apply into the EU settlement scheme which will enable them to stay in the UK without a visa after Brexit.

‘’However, those who are hoping to go to university next year, need to apply for a visa and they will need to demonstrate that they have been accepted onto the university course, that they have a good enough level of English and that they have the means to support themselves during their studies. They will then have to pay a visa fee and also the international health surcharge (IHS) to enable full access to the national health service (NHS) for which there is a reduced student rate,’’ Marshall explained.

Whereas this student visa fee is currently £348 the discounted student IHS costs £470 per year.

It is also worth mentioning that the new points-based immigration system will include a graduate route which will open in summer 2021. This enables graduates who have completed bachelors or post-grad degrees in the UK and want to secure a job there to stay for two years (three years for PhD students). Once they have secured a job offer, they will then be able to move into other visa routes if the necessary requirements are met.

For further information regarding the points-based immigration system or the settlement scheme, take a look at the UK government’s official documents.