No fee hike for Irish students enrolled in UK institutions after Brexit
There will be no changes to the current fee regimes and grant supports for Irish students enrolled in higher education institutions in the UK from September 2020 despite the UK’s scheduled exit from the EU at the end of the month, according to a recent statement by the Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh and the Minister for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor.
According to the Department of Education, there will be no fee hikes for UK students studying in Ireland in 2020 following Brexit. UK students who choose to study in the Republic will continue to be charged the same €3,000 registration fee as their Irish peers. British students will also be able to continue to avail of Irish grant supports. This arrangement will be maintained for the duration of the students’ studies, the Department has confirmed.
Eligible Irish and EU national students enrolling in UK third level institutions later this year will also be able to avail of grant support from the grant body Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI).
The announcement will alleviate the concerns of many Irish students who feared they would be required to pay international fees of up to £35,000 per year once the UK leaves the EU. It remains unclear, however, whether the existing fee structures will remain in place for Irish and UK students entering third level from September 2021.
Minister McHugh stated: “We are heading into a period of change but student mobility between Ireland and the UK has always been a strong feature of our education systems.” The current fee structure will provide students from Northern Ireland and the UK with the time to plan and prepare their options for the coming year.
The Department’s announcement also provides certainty for prospective students applying to universities before the CAO closing date of February 1st, 2020.