EU Students Rush to U.K. Universities to Beat Brexit Uncertainty

(Bloomberg) -- The number of European Union students accepted by U.K. universities rose in the past year, driven by fears of a post-Brexit surge in tuition fees for future entrants.

The government said in July it would cap fees for students joining U.K. institutions in the academic year beginning fall 2019 at the same level as British students -- currently 9,250 pounds ($11,900) a year -- for the duration of their courses. Students from outside the EU can be charged at a level set by individual universities, in some cases 15,000 pounds or more.

The number of accepted EU students rose 2 percent to 29,660 as of August 31, according to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. The National Union of Students attributed the rise to “worry” about future fee increases in a “post-Brexit landscape.”

“No long-term decision for EU students in the U.K. has been announced,” said NUS International Students’ Officer Yinbo Yu. “Ultimately, their fees could end up much higher and the application process more rigid and strenuous -- inevitably deterring many from studying here.”

Even so, despite the higher fees, the number of students from outside the EU successfully applying to courses at British universities also rose, according to UCAS -- to a record 37,120.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kitty Donaldson in London at kdonaldson1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson at fjackson@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Mark Williams

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