Levitate Student: Brexit & funding for EU students

The EU referendum in the UK  saw the public vote to Leave the with an outcome of approx 48% of people voting to Remain versus 52% to Leave.

The UK is in political turmoil and the future is very uncertain.

What do we know about the future for EU students.

Jo Johnson MP is the UK Minister of State for UnMPiversities and Science. He is the brother of MP Boris Johnson who led the Leave campaign in the run up to the EU Referendum

Unlike Boris, his brother Jo stated he wanted to Remain in EU and indeed his profile shows he benefited himself from studying in universities in Europe.

Jo Johnson MP offered the following reassurance on Twitter on the 27th June 2016 

UK welcomes EU students. Current students and this autumn's applicants will continue to receive student finance for duration of their course

Jo followed this by highlighting a statement from the Student Loans Company  .
The statement reassured that students who are EU nationals and their families who are currently on a course in England and those who begin studying from August 2016 who are assessed as eligible to receive grants and/or loans by will be eligible for the duration of their study on that course.

Changes we reported on in March 2016 already mean that any EU national starting a course in England in 2016 needs to have resided in UK for 5 years in order to be eligible for any living cost support. If they have lived in UK for less than 5 years then they are likely to be eligible for tuition fees support only.

So if you are from the EU and considering studying in Higher Education then you may want to apply for a place as soon a possible. You may also benefit from understanding how the Clearing Process works in August.

If you have resided in UK for less than five years but have been working and intend to continue to work alongside your course, or you are a family member of an EU worker then you may be entitled to living cost support as a EEA Migrant Worker or Family Member of a Migrant Worker. 

Previous study at higher education may limit your access to tuition fee support. If this applies to you then you may want to consider studying part-time where your previous study won't limit your fee support so long as your new course is at a higher level than the qualification you achieved from your previous course.

Anyone from EU starting a course beyond autumn 2016 can not be assured that there will be funding for their course from the UK government.