Effect of exiting the EU on higher education

Summary

Higher education in the UK is a major business and revenue generator and operates in a global market. Arguably the most significant consequences of EU membership on the UK higher education (HE) sector are the provision of support to EU students studying in the UK and access to European research funding and projects.

Membership of the EU also gives UK students access to European student mobility schemes such as Erasmus+. Furthermore, the UK is a signatory to the Bologna Process which aims to create a harmonised HE system across Europe.

The long-term implications of Brexit on the higher education sector and on EU students who want to study in the UK, will depend on what is agreed as part of the UK’s exit negotiations.