Post-Brexit EU Students' Application Figures in UK

Statically speaking, Brexit did not discourage EU students’ zeal to pursue a degree in the UK. For the first time, the number of foreign students applying to UK universities has overreached 100,000, as the UCAS figures claim that Brexit did not hinder EU students from applying to study in the UK. The applications coming from EU students coming from outside the UK rose by 3.6% in 2018 after dropping 2.6% in 2017.

A Russell Group spokesman said: “We are pleased to see the overall increase in applicants in these latest UCAS figures.

“Clarification that EU students starting courses in the UK in 2018/19 will be eligible for ‘home fee’ status and access to grants and loans is likely to have been an important factor behind the increase in applications from this cohort.

“We want the Government to ensure fees and finance arrangements for EU students remain unchanged during any transition period post-Brexit.”

UCAS figures also showed that there is a 1% increase in the applications to Scottish institutions. Higher Education Minister Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "These figures are a significant indicator of the strength of Scotland's global reputation as a welcoming and world-class study destination."

"While it is good to see Scotland's universities outperforming those across the UK, it is also vitally important that we continue to drive forward our ambition to widen access to university for people from our most deprived communities.

"In 2017, we saw a 13% increase in the number of people from the most deprived communities getting places to study at university. Today's application rate shows that there is more work to do if we are to see a similar increase in 2018."