EU, EEA, and Swiss national students will be classified as ‘International’ and will no longer qualify for ‘Home’ fee status and associated loans and funding from Student Finance England, the Minister for Universities has announced. This is effective beginning with the autumn 2021 intake and applies to both undergraduates and postgraduates.
EU students who are currently studying and whose course will end after 2021 will see no change to their fee status.
Nick Hillman, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said: “It is morally and legally difficult to continue charging lower fees to EU citizens than we already charge to people from the rest of the world once Brexit has taken full effect. So today’s decision is not a huge surprise.”
Currently EU students are given the same fee status as UK nationals, which means that for undergraduates tuition fees are capped at $9250 per year. They are eligible for student loans, and if they have lived in the UK for 5 years or more, can also apply for maintenance loans.
With the changes, students beginning a course in 2021 will pay international fees, which range from £25,740 to £36,065 per year, varying by course.
Oxford University says: “The University is bound by the government’s regulations in this area. As such we are only able to charge ‘Home’ fees to those students meeting the government’s eligibility criteria relevant for that academic year.
“It is important to highlight that these changes only impact students who apply for Oxford from the 2021/22 academic year onwards. Current students and those starting in the 2020/21 academic year will pay Home fees for the duration of their courses. Applicants from Ireland that those who have ‘Settled Status’ will also pay Home Fees from 2021/22.
“While fee levels will change, the University is committed to welcoming and supporting EU students in the long term. The University of Oxford is, and intends to remain, a thriving, cosmopolitan community of scholars and students united in our commitment to education and research. The departure from the EU will not change this; our staff and students from all across the world are as warmly welcome as ever.”
Image credit to Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 4.0
