EU Referendum Result: What Does Brexit Mean for Postgraduate Students?

The immediate impact of the UK’s decision to leave the EU has certainly been dramatic – with a fall in the value of the pound sterling and the resignation of David Cameron as Prime Minister.

If you’re considering a postgraduate degree you may be understandably concerned about the effects of a vote to leave on your studies, your opportunities, the fees you might pay and the funding you may be entitled to.

It’s important to recognise that most UK postgraduates won’t be directly affected by this result unless studying abroad or dependent on EU funding. The impact on other students won’t be immediate and will take time to become clear.

Before the vote we considered the significance of the referendum for Masters and PhD students. Now that the UK has chosen to leave, we’ve looked at what might be next for students and universities, including what will – and what won’t happen – to postgraduate study.

This is very important if you’re a current student, or if you’re just about to start a postgraduate degree.

On its own, the referendum has no legal effect on the UK’s EU membership. The result expresses the will of the British people, but this is merely advisory.

Parliament must then reflect on this decision and decide when (or even if) to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. This formally notifies the EU of the UK’s decision to leave.

When will the UK invoke Article 50?

David Cameron has left the management of the UK’s EU exit to his successor, to be elected in time for the Conservative party conference.

This means that the UK’s formal exit from the EU will not begin until October (at the earliest).

What will happen to students in the meantime?

Nothing.

The UK remains a full member of the EU until Article 50 is invoked and a withdrawal agreement is agreed.

During this time all EU treaties still apply to the UK. These include the guarantees of free movement, study mobility, access to funding and protection from fee discrimination covered in our previous blog.

How long will Brexit take?

Once Article 50 is invoked, the UK and EU will begin negotiating a withdrawal agreement. This is likely to be a complex process, with many topics to discuss – including students and higher education.

The standard negotiation period is two years. This can be extended by the European Council if the UK’s exit is as complex as expected.

It’s also possible that the new Prime Minister may delay invoking Article 50 in order to establish a stronger negotiating position within parliament – or between parliament and the EU.

Boris Johnson is the most likely candidate to succeed David Cameron and has already stated that there is ‘no need to invoke Article 50’ immediately.

This means that the earliest the UK is likely to leave the EU is October 2018.

Will the UK definitely leave?

Parliament is not obliged to invoke Article 50 following the referendum result. The new Prime Minister could seek a new deal with the EU and perhaps even offer a second referendum.

This is unlikely, however. Any decision not to initiate a withdrawal from the EU would question the legitimacy of the referendum process and undermine the credibility of the government.

It’s likely that the UK higher education sector will lobby throughout the withdrawal process in order to support the interests of current (and future) students.

Jo Johnson, the Minister of State for Universities and Science, is also a pro-Remain supporter who has emphasised the importance of UK and EU educational partnerships throughout the campaign.

What if I’m planning to begin a Masters or PhD after 2018?

The situation for future postgraduates is harder to predict – particularly for EU students studying in the UK.

Any concessions granted to continuing students may only be temporary, with changes to fees, funding and immigration requirements coming into force after the UK leaves.

Leaving the EU could have an impact on postgraduates studying abroad in the UK or EU, as well as those reliant on EU funding schemes.

But, based on the timescale of the UK’s EU exit, postgraduates won’t be directly affected unless their programme extends past 2018.

If you’re beginning a one or two year Masters this year, or have two years or less remaining on a PhD, you probably won’t see any significant change. All current EU regulations on fees, funding and freedom of movement will apply during your degree.

What if my course lasts beyond 2018?

The situation for other students depends on the UK’s negotiations with the EU and the terms of its withdrawal agreement.

These terms will hopefully take account of the situation of students who are already reliant on EU funded projects or are studying abroad.

Various organisations, including Universities UK and the Russell Group of universities, have already begun highlighting the concerns of current students (and staff) who might be affected by ‘Brexit’.

We’ve explained some of the ways in which EU membership benefits postgraduate students in our earlier blog.

It’s not clear how wide ranging changes may be, but the referendum result may eventually affect the following:

Postgraduate fees

The cost of studying a Masters or PhD abroad (in the UK or elsewhere) could rise.

EU students might not be entitled to study at the domestic rate in the UK. UK students might lose entitlement to cheap (or free) tuition in EU countries.

Much will depend on the nature of the UK’s new relationship with the EU. A small number of non-EU countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) maintain protection from fee discrimination.

Postgraduate loans

Postgraduate Masters loans will have been in place for at least two years by the time the UK leaves the EU. Currently, EU students are eligible for loans to study in England. This may cease from 2018.

Postgraduate PhD loans are not due to be introduced until 2018, by which point the UK may no longer be a member of the EU. It is possible that the design of this system will now be shaped by the referendum result and that eligibility will be restricted to UK applicants.

Other postgraduate funding

UK students’ eligibility for postgraduate funding offered by other EU countries may cease – particularly if EU students are not entitled to the UK’s own postgraduate loans.

Bilateral agreements between specific countries may replace this in some cases, but this is not guaranteed.

Some PhD research is directly funded by the EU through its Horizon 2020 programme. This supports a range of collaborative projects. The Leave campaign has pledged to maintain equivalent funding, but the terms of this are not confirmed.

Not all Erasmus programme countries are also EU members, but the UK's continued access to Erasmus+ funding could depend on the terms of the UK’s withdrawal and the concessions it is willing to make to other EU policies.

Study mobility

Brexit won’t stop students studying abroad between the UK and the EU, but it may make it more complex by introducing study visas and other restrictions.

The automatic right of UK students to study in other EU countries and of EU students to study in the UK is dependent on EU membership.

It’s possible that this could be maintained following a withdrawal – and that universities across Europe would support such a decision. The European University Association has already confirmed its commitment to prevent division between British and European higher education.

The result of the EU referendum may be a disappointing one for postgraduate students, but it remains the case that the UK is home to a strong higher education system renowned for the quality of its Masters and PhD programmes.

We hope that any exit negotiations take account of this and work to maintain strong scientific and cultural links between the UK and Europe.

If the UK is to leave the EU, the virtues of international collaboration, the exchange of ideas and the development of new approaches and perspectives through intellectual dialogue will be more important than ever.

It is these values that underpin postgraduate study and which are exemplified by the UK’s proud role as a provider of Masters and PhD programmes to students from around the world.