British Council seeks EU student bounce back

At least 13,000 students from Europe are expected to join the education event in October and November, with one session targeting EU students and another the CIS countries of Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, in addition to Turkey.

“Misconceptions about the application process, fees and requirements… may be discouraging some from applying”

“Our research shows that European students view the UK as the most attractive overseas study destination for teaching quality and employability,” Maddalaine Ansell, director of Education at the British Council said.

“However, misconceptions about the application process, fees and requirements – particularly after the UK’s withdrawal from the EU – may be discouraging some from applying,” she said.

Latest UCAS figures indicate that the number of EU students accepted on to courses at UK institutions dropped 2% in 2020, while others have warned that EU student numbers could drop when they are no longer eligible for home fee status from next year.

HEPI previously urged EU citizens to apply for 2020 entry, before new rules come into force in 2021, while a survey has found that 84% of European students would not be willing to pay full international fees to study in the UK.

As part of the event, prospective undergraduate and postgraduate students can meet UK universities for one-to-one conversations online and receive clear, reliable information.

According to the British Council, students from EU countries value the country’s education quality highly but a lack of clarity around changes now that the UK has left the EU means students have been finding it difficult to plan to study in the UK.

“We will enable UK universities to reach European students directly – and to provide them with the information they need to start what we hope will be a life changing UK study journey,” Ansell continued.

The programs will inform students about how to apply to study in the UK, career opportunities, fees and scholarships, and learn about the most important points in planning their studies, such as applying for visas, which will be required of EU students from January 2021.