Могут ли более низкие платы в британских университетах вернуть кипрских студентов?

The UK government is reportedly considering allowing European Union students to pay the same university tuition fees as British students, a move that could make studying in the country more affordable for Cypriots and help reverse the sharp decline in enrolments since Brexit.

The proposal, reported on November 1, forms part of wider negotiations to rebuild relations between London and Brussels, with the British government prepared to spend up to £450 million a year compensating universities for the income they could lose from lower fees.

For Cypriot students, the potential change could be significant, as the cost of studying in Britain has risen substantially since the UK left the EU and ended the preferential fee arrangements previously available to European students.

Before Brexit, the UK was one of the most popular destinations for Cypriots pursuing higher education, largely because of historical and linguistic ties.

However, the number of Cypriot students enrolled at British universities fell by almost half after the UK’s departure from the bloc.

There were 9,730 Cypriot students enrolled in the 2017-2018 academic year, compared with 4,780 in February 2025, according to figures cited by the British Council.

More recent figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency showed that the number of students with a permanent address in Cyprus had fallen to just over 3,000 in the 2024-2025 academic year, according to a Cyprus Mail report published in March.

The different figures reflect separate reporting measures, but both point to the scale of the decline.

Under the proposed arrangement, EU students would be able to pay home tuition fees rather than the higher international rates currently charged to most applicants from the bloc.

In England, annual fees for British undergraduate students are just over £9,000, while international students can face charges running into tens of thousands of pounds, depending on the university and course.

Some British universities charge EU students more than £38,000 a year for certain programmes, while fees for some international courses can exceed £60,000.

The UK government is understood to have considered several possible funding arrangements, with the £450 million estimate representing the most expensive scenario, based on fees being reduced to domestic levels and a substantial increase in EU student numbers.

A government official described the figure as speculative, while other sources indicated that the final cost could be considerably lower.

The Russell Group, which represents 24 of Britain’s leading research universities, has warned that the cost of equalising fees could exceed £500 million.

Universities have expressed concern that reducing fees without sufficient government compensation could worsen their financial difficulties.

The British government, however, is seeking a wider economic benefit in return, making it conditional on the EU granting British companies access to its proposed Made in Europe industrial scheme.

The initiative aims to strengthen European manufacturing by giving preference to products made within the bloc, with sectors including automotive manufacturing, steel and clean-energy technologies among those affected.

London is concerned that excluding British companies could damage the country’s industrial base, exports and investment, and sees access to the industrial scheme as a significant negotiating objective.

The issue is among the remaining obstacles ahead of the EU-UK summit in Brussels on November 20, where Prime Minister Andy Burnham is expected to meet European Council president António Costa and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

Other areas of negotiations include emissions trading, agricultural products and a possible youth mobility scheme.

For Cyprus, the discussions also follow efforts by Cypriot MEP Loucas Fourlas to put the issue of university fees on the European political agenda.

Speaking during a European Parliament plenary session in January 2026, Fourlas called on the British government to reduce tuition fees for Cypriots and other EU citizens studying in the UK.

“Education cannot be transformed into a tool of exclusion, nor can it be collateral damage in geopolitical tensions,” Fourlas said.

He also said he would travel to London on February 17 as a member of the European Parliament’s education committee, with the aim of working towards lower fees.

“If the United Kingdom wishes to re-examine its relationship with the European Union, and this relationship cannot be one-sided, it must give something back as well, and a tangible good-will step is the reduction of tuition fees for European students,” Fourlas said.

The potential reduction could be particularly relevant to Cypriots interested in business, engineering, law, computing and medicine-related courses, which have traditionally been among their preferred higher education choices.

However, tuition fees are only one part of the overall cost of studying abroad. Accommodation, living expenses, visas and immigration-related charges would continue to affect the affordability of a British university education.

Students also have alternatives closer to home. The University of Cyprus covers undergraduate tuition fees through government funding, while private universities generally charge between €6,000 and €10,000 annually for many courses, with medicine typically costing more.

Some universities in Cyprus also offer programmes designed and quality-assured by British institutions, providing another route for students seeking a UK-linked qualification without relocating.

The British government has not yet reached an agreement with Brussels, and the proposed fee changes remain part of ongoing negotiations rather than an established policy.

A successful deal could nevertheless remove one of the biggest financial barriers after Brexit, potentially making British universities more accessible again to a generation of Cypriot students.