Starmer's parting shot is to give EU students a £30k discount of their uni fees.

[caringcarer]

This is a kick in the teeth to our own students. If he has money to discount off uni fees for students he should discount our own students. It's an outrage.

Can you explain why you have a problem with this? It's not money being taken from other students or from taxpayers. It's just a means to attract more EU students to study in the UK.

Presumably the calculation behind this policy is that total revenue from this group will go up because there will be more of them, so a net benefit to UK universities and the UK economy.

You will not be negatively impacted by this. You will not be taxed to pay for this. I cannot understand what you're outraged about.

WTF!!!! Most of them don’t even pay the money back anyway but why should they get a discount when that doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world. This is an absolute joke.

We are becoming a country where every single person who has not got the actual right to be here is actually prioritised. Who gives a toss about our students, our nurses, the military, disabled people, tax payers….. because the government clearly doesn’t.

Why do we want more students to study in the Uk if not to contribute to making the universities economically viable? Isn’t that just an expense ?

As a pp posted the figures are totally skewed towards the numbers coming in this direction.

And my concern is the employment rights that continue upon graduation.

For reference, 622k students from outside the UK.

The IPaper link I posted above said this would reduce UK university income by 580 million GBP. That is not good.

What I would find useful is how many EU students before Brexit. And Migration observatory says this :

"The number of EU students enrolling in a new course in British universities fell sharply after Brexit, declining by 57% between 2020/21 and 2023/24. Starting in 2021, students from the EU have had to pay significantly higher international fees."

EU students in the UK after Brexit - Migration Observatory (ox.ac.uk)

As a positive spin, consider this :

If UK universities get the same fees from EU students as they do from UK students, then universities have no economic incentive to prefer EU students over UK students.

Alternatively, as the migration observatory says EU students dropped after Brexit, will the number of EU students increase again, putting more pressure on places ?

I don't know. But UK students now have lots of options for their studies too. I suppose it really comes down to the universities. Are they providing a service educating , or are they chasing after the students who can pay higher fees ?

We are oversees and outside of Europe when it comes to passport control but seemingly we are all one when it comes to benefits and discounts 🤦🏼‍♀️

He’s subsituting Indian / Pakistani /Bangladeshi students for European ones. It’s disgusting. If there is money to discount fees he should offer it to students born in England first.

And who’s gonna pay for this? Taxpayers. We have got no more money…….

Hang on though. If Universities charge higher fees for non students, then they will chase after those who can pay most.

Now if that difference is removed re EU students, then does that not mean universities can give more UK students places rather than chase after EU students higher fees ?

I agree so much with this. What on earth has happened? I’m a Labour voter and consume largely soft lefty media but I feel like my brain is becoming more like an edition of the Daily Telegraph the more I read the news recently.

I take it this would be reciprocal-that means our students can go to Germany for example, and study for free-and many courses are delivered in English.

Because ATM international student fees covers part of the cost of UK students. If 65000 are given £30k each their won't be enough to cover overall student fees without putting up costs for our own students. Where do you think the £30k for each of the £65k EU students will come from? More EU graduates in UK means less graduate jobs for UK students. We already have graduates with good degrees unable to find a graduate job in the UK. EU students graduating from a UK university are able to get a work permit.

I doubt it.

This is twice I've spotted you quoting the Express as your source of news. Maybe start reading reliable news sources so you're not always so easily outraged.

It is reciprocal.

That is the whole point of it.

Me when I try to find things to be mad about.

In case you didn't know, a large number of universities are in dire financial straits and on the verge of bankruptcy, largely due to a severe shortage of overseas students. Maybe this policy will go some way to redressing the balance.

Yes but as PP pointed out the figures are very skewed in this direction which makes sense due to the language barrier. And the UK is a great place to start a career post graduation which is totally possible under current law.

Who is giving students 30k GBP?

The link I posted said it is equalization of fees. Nobody is bunging students 30k each so far as I can see.

65500 students from EU come to UK only less than 5000 UK students study at university in EU countries.

But it’s a lower £ amount coming in if they get a discount?

EU students will each get a £30k discount from their current fees.

Where do you get the 30k number from ?

And do you accept they are not being given 30k ? They still need to pay the going UK rate, same as UK students.

And UK students get the same deal at EU universities.

If the increased numbers enrolling offset the loss of revenue per student, this won't be a problem.

International student curretly pay a lot more than UK students. Because they pay more UK students price is lower as party subsidised by international students. If EU students are no longer paying international student fees not only will the universities not have enough money for UK students but now also for a further 65000 EU students. What happens if universities don't have enough money? They put up fees for UK students or government will have to subsidise university costs if they can no longer charge international rates.