Postgraduate loan and Brexit

Could Brexit conceivably have any effect on the planned postgraduate loans being implemented this year or are they more or less certain and/or protected?

[I know there is a lot of really premature speculation and this is an example of that but it's of genuine concern to me!]

Reply 1

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by abc:)

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The UK is still a member of the EU with all the responsibilities and obligations that requires. There will be no change in that situation for at least 2 years from the invocation of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which won't happen before October 16.

Therefore there will be no change to the current scheme until October 18 at the earliest.

Reply 2

abc:)

Original post by threeportdrift

I understand we will still be part of the EU for the foreseeable future. I more meant in terms of the economy. This is the first year that the loans have been introduced and I'm wondering whether, IF in the event of a downturn, or fear of a downturn, the new loans system may be postponed.

Reply 3

neokot5

Hello there

I am about to start an MA course this September and have been extremely anxious since I could not afford it without a loan. I have been a law student and I know that in order for any European country to leave Europe there should be a negotiation period of 2 years minimum (article 50) and during this period the country should be considered and act as a member of the EU union or else there will be ''bad'' consequences , according to the European Law system.

I have also made my online search and found this.

''The ultimate effects of the referendum result won't become clear until negotiations take place over the UK's withdrawal agreement. This is expected to take two years or more. We'll be watching ongoing postgraduate developments closely and will be the first to update if any new developments arise for Masters students. The forthcoming postgraduate Masters loans are not expected to be immediately affected, with EU students continuing to be eligible in 2016-17. ''

According to the european loan the postgraduate loans should be available for the whole period of two years and until the negotiations finish.But we live in medieval ages and anything might be possible .Hope for the best .For me and any person who wants to study and go further in his life...

Reply 4

Klix88

I'm afraid you're asking us to predict a future that even economists don't understand. No country has ever left the EU before - we have no idea how any of this is going to affect the UK as a whole, never mind Postgraduate Loans.

Reply 5

gergely

Hi there,
I am a prospective Eu student as well; I have been offered a place at the Uni of Bristol. Regarding the loan, I am sure they will be available at least for the next academic year(Though, should there be a recession, they may be scrapped in the subsequent year.) However, I am not sure whether it is reasonable to move to the Uk now, that 52 percent of its population has just stated that they had enough of us. So, although Bristol is a pro-remain city, do you think the way we, EU nationals, are perceived will be negatively affected by the results of the EU referendum?

PS:sorry for the bit off-topic question, but the results of the vote have left me completely gutted as my primary motivation to continue my studies in the Uk was that I felt culturally and ideologically more at home in Britain than in my home country.

Reply 6

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by gergely

...............

52% haven't said 'they had enough of us', they have said that membership of the EU is no longer the better position for the UK. Sure, there are specific pockets of the country, mainly agricultural, low pay areas, where there is a nationalistic, 'them and us' element related to cheap wages accepted by EU workers, mostly areas without a university within sight! However, many of the reasons for an exit vote are nothing to do with 'immigrants' but are to do with economic regulation and the ability to create nationally relevant rules.

University towns have been notable 'in' voters, Bristol especially. I doubt you will notice any difference than you would have pre-vote.

Reply 7

Duncan2012

As above. Please stop making up 'facts' to turn this in to a racism debate when that has, for 99.9% of the population, nothing to do with why we're better out of the EU.

Reply 8

abc:)

Original post by neokot5

Original post by gergely

Original post by Duncan2012

As above. Please stop making up 'facts' to turn this in to a racism debate when that has, for 99.9% of the population, nothing to do with why we're better out of the EU.

To those who replied the application is now open so I think it's all good :smile:

To Duncan: stop accusing a European, with legitimate concerns, of turning this into a racism debate. Their comment / question was perfectly valid and didn't use the word racism at all.
Can you not see how, to a European living outside of the UK, who reads the news but doesn't live here, it might look as though they'd be less welcome? Rather than being abrasive, like you were, you could just reassure them that that's not the case. Otherwise you are kind of disproving your own point.

Reply 9

Perforce

If anyone still has concerns about the funding for EU students, student finance England put this on their facebook page the other day:

EU NATIONALS AND STUDENT FINANCE IN ENGLAND
The following statement applies to EU nationals who are currently in receipt of student loans from the Student Loans Company (SLC), and to EU nationals who intend to begin studying from this autumn.
EU nationals or their family members, currently in higher education, and who are assessed as eligible to receive loans and/or grants from the SLC, will continue to receive these loans and grants until they finish their course. This applies to all student finance from the SLC for students in England for which EU nationals are eligible. This includes loans to cover tuition fees (for those resident in the EEA for three years), loans and grants for maintenance (limited to those resident in the UK for at least three years), and some other grants and allowances.
The rules applying to EU nationals, or their family members, who have applied for a place at university from this August to study a course which attracts student support are unchanged. The SLC will assess these applications against existing eligibility criteria, and will provide loans and/or grants in the normal way. EU nationals, or their family members, who are assessed as eligible to receive grants and/ or loans by the SLC will then be eligible for the duration of their study on that course. These eligibility criteria set out that for students beginning study from this August, EU nationals must have been resident in the UK for at least five years in order to apply for a maintenance loan.
Students should consult their university’s student finance office, or the GOV.UK website, for information on what support they can receive.
EU NATIONALS AND STUDENT FINANCE IN ENGLAND
Statement available here: bit.ly/28XPRNb