The Education Secretary Damian Hinds has announced that EU students starting in autumn 2019 will receive home fee status for 2019/20 entry and pay the same tuition fees as English students.
This status applies to both undergraduate and postgraduate students and, importantly, will last for the duration of their degree courses. EU students will also be able to access student support on the same basis as home students if their courses start in 2019.
The news provides reassurance for EU students for at least the first year after Brexit.
Settlement Scheme for EU Citizens
In a further development, the Home Office has published details of a settlement scheme for EU citizens in the UK, enabling those with five years of continued residency to apply for settled status.
EU citizens living in the UK and their family members will need to make an application under this scheme to obtain their new UK immigration status.
Requirements will include proof of continuous residency for five years; however, those who have been living in the UK for less than five years will generally be granted pre-settled status until eligible to apply following five years’ residency.
Consultation
For EU citizens wanting to make an application for settled status, reassurance has been given that the default position will be to grant rather than refuse applications, and applications will only be rejected on particularly serious grounds.
There will be no change to the current rights of EU citizens in the UK under EU law until 31 December 2020.
The scheme is subject to Parliamentary approval and further consultation is planned with stakeholders and employers regarding the details to ensure effective implementation. It will be fully open by 30 March 2019, but a phased roll-out is planned for later this year and further details are expected to be published over the summer.
The deadline for applications for settled status for those who are resident in the UK by 31 December 2020, will be 30 June 2021.
Full details of the plans are provided in the Government’s Statement of Intent and a short overview of the scheme is available on the Gov.uk website.