West Midlands Combined Universities has welcomed the news that EU students will continue to remain eligible for financial support up to the academic year 2018 to 2019.
The government has pledged that EU students, who are charged the same tuition fees as UK students, will continue to have access to student loans and grants, even if their course concludes after the UK’s exit from the EU.
Professor Graham Upton, Vice-Chancellor at Birmingham City University, said:
“This news is an extremely welcome development and provides much needed certainty and security for students from across the EU.
“Universities thrive on the innovation and creativity of students from a diverse range of backgrounds, so the government’s commitment to financial support during the 2018/19 academic year will make sure we continue to attract the top talent from at home and abroad.
“Here in the West Midlands we welcome students from all corners of the world and it is important that this region continues to be an attractive to place to live and study as this can play an important role in driving our economic growth.”
Professor John Latham, vice-chancellor of Coventry University said:
“At Coventry University we are committed to attracting and nurturing talent from across the globe. In the wake of last year’s referendum we moved quickly to guarantee that fees for EU students would not exceed those of their UK counterparts for five years. So we’re very pleased that that the government has taken this step, and we trust – as the Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson has stated – that this will send out a strong message that UK higher education remains welcoming and diverse.
“Moving forward, the sector must maintain its global outlook not just in terms of recruiting students but also with regards to business and research partnerships. Universities can help keep the UK competitive and open for business in a way that transcends political negotiations.”
Professor Geoff Layer, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton, said:
“This announcement is very welcome and is reassuring for our EU applicants and students for academic year 2018/19. As a global university and the University of Opportunity, all of our student body – from across nearly 200 countries and 26 transnational partners – will always be welcome here and we will be working with key partners and organisations to ensure the best outcome possible for our University post-Brexit.”