‘Devastating’: The number of EU students in the UK has halved since Brexit

The number of EU students choosing to study in the UK has fallen by half since Brexit, according to new official figures.

Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) shows that enrollments by EU nationals fell by 53%, from 64,120 students in 2020/21 to just 31,400 in 2021/22.

While the number of non-EU nationals increased over the same period, British universities in general still faced significant shortfalls in student numbers.

HESA said the drop in EU scientists “aligns” with the UK’s departure from the bloc and changing international fees policies.

Before Brexit, EU students in England and Wales paid just over £9,000 (€10,255) in house money and were eligible for student finance. Fees have risen to £38,000 (€43,300) after the UK pulled out of the bloc.

Concerns about new visa rules as a result of Brexit also play a role, with the number of students from Italy, Germany and France in particular falling sharply.

The declining number of students reduced class diversity and weakened the finances of universities that rely on EU students taking three- or four-year courses, Universities UK said.

Similar declines were seen in Scotland, which voted to remain in the European Union in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

The education spokesperson for the Scottish National Party Carol Monaghan MP said: “It is devastating that Brexit is denying Scotland the opportunity to attract the best and brightest young talent Europe has to offer.

“The only way Scotland can restore our ties with our European neighbors is through independence,” said the Glasgow politician.

Monaghan also highlighted the impact on Scottish students themselves.

“Brexit has been catastrophic for young people across Scotland, as their opportunities to work, travel and study in Europe are severely hampered by ending the free movement of people.

“The EU’s Erasmus program offered fantastic opportunities for our young people to study and explore in Europe, and the UK’s alternative Turing program is a pale imitation of Erasmus”.

While registrations in the EU fell in 2021/22, first-year registrations outside the EU increased by 32%.

Most of these new international students took one-year postgraduate courses.

The number of Chinese students increased from 107,000 in 2017-2018 to 151,000 last year.

Universities UK said the increased number of non-EU students had failed to offset the exodus of EU students at undergraduate level, which is affecting the finances of some universities and impoverishing life on campus.

The findings “reveal very clearly the impact of the kind of loss of freedom of movement and change in the status of European students, but also, and critically for students, the loss of access to student loans,” said Charley Robinson, the head of global mobility policy. on Universities UK.