Will the UK's exit from the European Union lead to the decline of British universities?

For centuries, universities in the UK have enjoyed a reputation synonymous with excellence, steeped in history and home to a community of world-class academics and researchers.

With 17 of the top 100 universities globally located in the UK , the state of higher education appears stable; yet, this may all soon change if the UK follows through on its decision to leave the EU. British universities have persevered through obstacles far more arduous than Brexit—such as two World Wars— and endured with their reputations intact; however, the threat posed by Brexit will have far greater ramifications for higher education than ever previously encountered. While Oxford and Cambridge will likely continue to enjoy their status globally as the crème de la crème of higher education, universities trailing behind Oxbridge face a takeover by European counterparts. The English-language education provided to students remains a primary incentive compelling those from abroad to study in the UK. Recently however, many European universities, such as the Free University in Berlin, IE University in Madrid, or Maastricht University in the Netherlands, have begun to offer similar English-speaking programs. This trend poses a tremendous threat to UK universities as EU students will likely no longer see the incentive of paying up to £28,000 for a degree that is comparable to one from a university in the EU and costs a fraction of the price (€2,300 in the Netherlands and free in Germany). Although the extent that British universities will suffer from Brexit remains unclear, this article aims to outline what effect Brexit has already had on higher education in the UK, what will likely happen if a no-deal Brexit occurs and crucial areas of uncertainty for British universities going forward.

Since the 2016 referendum to leave the EU, the ramifications of Brexit have primarily affected EU student enrolment numbers. In the four years preceding Brexit, EU student enrolment in Russell group universities ranged from 4 to 7%. Two years after the Brexit referendum, this figure fell with a 3 percent decrease in the number of EU students enrolling in the 2018/19 academic year . Especially affected were masters and post-graduate research students with a decline of 5% and 9% respectively. This worrying trend will likely worsen once the UK officially exits the EU. Despite already leading to a decrease EU student enrolment, the consequences of a no-deal Brexit will target four key sectors: EU immigration, student fee status, research grants and qualification recognition.

With over 5% of all undergraduate and 9% of postgraduate research students in the UK originating from EU countries overseas, the matter of immigration is paramount. Whether or not EU students must apply for visas when studying in the UK and under which circumstances they may remain in the country after graduating are crucial issues that have yet to be resolved. In preparation for a no-deal Brexit, the EU Settlement Scheme was established, allowing ‘any EU citizen living in the UK by exit day […] to apply to this scheme, securing their status in UK law.’ Overseas students studying in the UK have until the 31st of December 2020 to apply for the Settlement Scheme and claim their “settled” status in order to legally continue to reside in the country. Although the ability to live in the UK is a prerequisite to study here, a Settlement Scheme would become superfluous if the vast majority of students are unable to afford the costs of university.

Under the current system, EU nationals benefit tremendously from heavy subsidies when paying tuition fees. EU students pay £9,250 annually—the same as students from the UK; however, with Brexit, they could soon face international-student fees reaching up to £20,000 annually. Although the government has published a policy paper ‘confirming that eligible EU nationals will continue to benefit from home fee status and can access financial support for the 20/21 academic year ’, no statement has been made that clarifies whether students after 2020 will also benefit from financial support. An article published by Buzzfeed News reported that within the Department of Education, providing EU students with home-fee status is no longer justified. Prior to Brexit, granting EU students financial support was warranted, as EU Freedom of Movement meant graduates would likely remain in the country and contribute to the economy. If the UK leaves the EU, students from member states ‘will be subject to new immigration rules, meaning they are less likely to stay and work in the UK, and less likely to repay their student loans. This means that there is no longer a case for offering home fee status and financial support’, according to ministers at the Department of Education. Increased restrictions on immigration and lack of financial support could cause a profound transformation of the student body in universities throughout the UK; however, the greatest threat to the prestige of British universities is a decline in their capacity to conduct meaningful research.

Since 1984, the EU has strived to support and foster research throughout Europe. In doing so, the EU commission allocates vast budgets every six years which are spent on research projects. The current programme, Horizon 2020, has a budget of €77bn and its successor, Horizon Europe, will likely have a budget of over €100bn . Universities in the UK benefit tremendously from the financial support provided by the Horizon programmes. Between 2007 and 2013, the UK received €8.8bn in research funding whilst only contributing €5.4bn to the fund. Between that same time-period, 22.4% of the European Research Council’s budget was spent on research in the UK, resulting in 8% of all research expenditures of UK universities being paid for by the EU. Ultimately, the EU has played a key role in enabling UK universities to secure their title as a major global research community. If the UK withdraws from the EU, the funding from Horizon programmes will be stripped as will those of the European Research Council and the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, the two European research fellowship councils. Both of these programmes allocate €500m to research annually, of which 17% is spent directly on the Russell Group Universities—more than that of all German universities combined. Research output remains a key benchmark in measuring the quality of universities. Without the veritable support of the EU, institutions in the UK are at serious risk of losing their title as a world-renowned source of ground-breaking research.

Even after graduating, students—especially those studying medicine and dentistry—face another challenge: getting their qualification recognized abroad. In 2005, the EU founded the European Professional Qualification Directive (EPQD) . This program aims to ensure that any form of work that would normally have been restricted to a person who received a professional degree within member state would now be open to any person from any EU member state who received a similar qualification. For example, a physician holding an MBBS degree from the UK would also have their degree recognized in any other EU member state. After Brexit, ‘[there] will be no system of mutual recognition of professional qualifications between the EEA states, Switzerland and the UK ’, according to a policy paper published by the UK government.

The ramifications of Brexit will be all-encompassing. The potential decline of EU student numbers, stripping of research funding and discontinuation of qualification recognition could very easily lead to indelible consequences for universities throughout the UK. In addition to the aforementioned effects of Brexit, many uncertainties lie ahead, such as what will replace the European Health Insurance Card or how settlement plans will be implemented for students studying courses that take longer than three years. With an exit from the EU fast approaching, politicians and institutions must refrain being complicit and begin genuinely deliberating on plans to address the implications of Brexit. As students, we are also responsible in holding government and university administrators accountable. If we fail to do so, we risk institutions such as our own, founded centuries ago and revered for their excellence, to fade quietly into oblivion.