Rohit Sethi, Director, ESS Global, gives a low down on what does Brexit mean for international students eyeing UK universities
With the deadline for the withdrawal now extended till January 31, 2020, the uncertainty still prevails around whether Brexit will have any effect over the academic aspirations of international students willing to study in the UK.
Post-Brexit plans will not only bring bad news for UK students willing to study in mainland Europe but will also affect the EU students. Proposals from Britain's education ministry have stated that from 2021 the UK may start charging overseas EU students the same fees as charged to the other international students. This means that EU students would have to pay somewhere between £10,000 and £35,000 a year to attend a university in England.
Moreover, Britain's exit from the EU can possibly affect the country's reputation as one of the top study abroad destinations. It can complicate the student visa process, making it more difficult for international graduates to secure jobs in the country due to fluctuations in work visa policies.
There is also a possibility of getting no scholarships in the case of certain universities in the UK. While Brexit may not impact the UK based scholarships like Commonwealth or Great, it may hinder the probabilities of international students planning to participate in EU-based grants through programmes like Erasmus+.
A recent study by the GMAT council reported that international students are still keen to study business in the UK. In fact, Brexit is expected to bring a considerable positive impact on Indian students interested in pursuing higher education in the UK, especially those willing to register for the postgraduate programmes at UK universities. With the British Government revealing its ambitious immigration plan underlining the need for skilled professionals in the UK economy,the admission of Indians and other migrants from the non-EU regions will hugely benefit from such a demand and favourable immigration policies.
Changing policies might be a boon for Indian and non-EU students.
The writer is a Study-Abroad Consultant
