European students are more likely to go to Britain despite Brexit

Despite the fears of experts, the number of applicants from the European Union applying to universities in the UK has grown by 11% over the past year, reaching a record number in all years. Earlier it was assumed that the country's exit from the EU after the June referendum could significantly reduce the popularity of British universities among applicants from the European Union.

Today there are 26,300 studentsfrom ES in the UK. Europeanspay an undergraduate tuition fee of £ 9,000 per year - the same as UK citizens. Meanwhile, the UK's secession from the EU could lead to the abolition of these rules and higher tuition fees for EU citizens.

EU students enjoy the same rights and privileges as UK citizens, such as the right to soft loans.However, there is no guarantee that the students who received the loan will return it upon their return home. The UK government has no practical tools to put pressure on debtors who have left the country. For example, many graduates left the UK without paying off their debts, giving British taxpayers the opportunity to pay for their studies. Research shows that today about 30% of European students delay payments on student loans in the UK.

On the one hand, experts point out that most of the applications from applicants came before the end of the referendum. On the other hand, the increased popularity of the UK among prospective students may be due to the fact that after the country's final exit from the EU, the conditions for the provision of education for European students may be revised.

The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) told The Telegraph that those who do not pay their student loans should be treated in the same way as thosewho dodges taxes. Nick Neeleman, director of HEPI, explains: “Tax evasion harms taxpayers.Failure to repay your student loan should be viewed as an equally dangerous business. However, this behavior is common among both Britons and EU citizens who study in the UK before starting to work abroad. New rules for repayment of loans for those who live abroad should be a priority. "

“Studying at a British university is a very tempting offerfor EU students, ”Alan Smithers, professor of education at Buckingham University, told The Telegraph. “There are no upfront tuition fees, and once students move to another part of the world, getting them to repay the debt becomes extremely difficult. British universities are famous for their quality of education and attractive in themselves, but the referendum prompted students who thought about studying in the country to decide on it earlier, fearing that the British will vote against EU membership. "

Alexander Zhuravlev