Labour ministers are being urged not to cut tuition fees for EU students amid a stand-off with Brussels over Keir Starmer‘s Brexit ‘reset’.
EU negotiators are pushing for the Government to lower tuition fees for EU students in the UK as part of a proposed youth mobility deal.
Since Brexit, EU students in the UK have been charged higher international fees, of between £11,400 and £32,000 a year, compared to the lower domestic rate for British students of £9,535 a year.
But, as part of a new ‘youth experience scheme’, Brussels wants EU students to pay the same rate as British students while they study in the UK.
Sir Keir has agreed to the scheme as part of his Brexit ‘reset’ deal, which will allow 18 to 30-year-olds from the EU to live, work and study in the UK.
It is one of three areas where the Government and the EU hope to forge closer ties when they meet for a summit, which is expected in June or early July.
But the row over tuition fees has stalled negotiations and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is urging the Government not to bow to the EU’s demands.
She said, instead of ‘subsidising’ fees for foreign students, Labour should instead cut the levels of debt facing British graduates from their student loans.
Labour ministers are being urged not to cut tuition fees for EU students amid a stand-off with Brussels over Keir Starmer’s Brexit’reset’
‘Rather than using taxpayers’ money to subsidise foreign students, Keir Starmer should cut the interest on Plan 2 student loans and help British graduates,’ Mrs Badenoch posted on X.
There is broad consensus on two other areas of the Prime Minister’s Brexit ‘reset’; agreements on food safety and emissions trading.
But UK sources are insistent that lowering tuition fees for EU students is a ‘non-starter’.
One source close to the negotiations, meanwhile, said: ‘It is true that talks have stalled and that this is now the main issue on which both sides cannot agree.’
Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Cabinet Office minister who is leading negotiations on behalf of Sir Keir, is heading to Brussels for further talks on Monday.
Meanwhile, universities are warning that equalising fees for EU students could harm their already difficult financial situation.
Modelling by the Russell Group of UK universities has previously shown that lowering tuition fees to domestic levels for EU students would cost the UK higher education sector around £580million.
Jamie Arrowsmith, director of Universities UK International, said: ‘This would carry a very significant cost and risks undermining the financial sustainability of universities, which would not be in the best interests of the UK, or the EU, or prospective students.’
The Government said it would not give a running commentary on the talks.
A spokesperson added: ‘We are working together with the EU to create a balanced youth experience scheme which will create new opportunities for young people to live, work, study and travel.
‘Any final scheme must be time-limited, capped and will be based on our existing youth mobility schemes, which do not include access to home tuition fee status.’