The UK’s high position in international university rankings, the close links between academic education and the job market and, above all, the opportunity to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level while paying the same tuition fees as British students made the country an especially attractive destination until five years ago.

However, the UK’s departure from the European Union fundamentally changed the terms of access from the 2021–22 academic year onwards. Most new students from EU member states are now classified as international students, with significant implications for the cost of their studies, access to funding and the procedures for entering and staying in the country. By 2024–25, the number of new European students had fallen by 57%.

Ahead of the EU–UK Summit, which will take place in Brussels on 20 November, the possibility of more favourable tuition fees for European students at British universities is once again under discussion.

Although the main items on the agenda are expected to be trade, energy and security, the issue of tuition fees for European students is also likely to come to the fore.

According to The Guardian, the government of British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is seriously considering a plan to bring university tuition fees for students from the EU into line with those paid by British nationals. This would represent a dramatic reduction in the cost of studying, with fees for European students potentially falling from international rates of up to £38,000 a year to the domestic UK cap of £9,535.

The European Commission has also proposed putting a draft agreement on the table, with the aim of finalising a comprehensive deal covering both tuition fees and the Erasmus+ exchange programme within the next six months, or by May.

At least six EU member states are reportedly putting strong pressure on London to make a clear and definitive commitment on tuition fees at the 20 November summit. According to The Telegraph, they are linking the outcome to other trade concessions sought by the UK.

Britain is reportedly prepared to contribute around £450 million a year towards subsidising the fees, in return for reduced red tape on food and drink exports to the EU and participation in European industrial programmes.

In any case, until the UK and the EU reach an agreement, British universities continue to offer alternative routes for prospective students.

The cost that changed everything

Before Britain left the EU, European students in England paid tuition fees equivalent to those charged to British students, provided they met certain conditions. For undergraduate courses, annual fees were capped at £9,250.

Under the new arrangements, European students were placed in the international student category. As a result, undergraduate tuition fees rose to between approximately £11,400 and £32,000 a year, depending on the university and subject, with some particularly demanding courses costing even more. European students also generally lost access to UK student loans and the favourable funding arrangements associated with the previous system.

The financial burden is compounded by the requirement to obtain a Student visa for courses lasting more than six months, the associated application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge, which currently costs students £776 a year.

There are, of course, exceptions for certain categories of EU citizens, particularly those who were legally resident in the UK before the end of the transition period and meet the requirements of the relevant residency scheme.

Tuition fee cuts on the table – What to expect on 20 November

Against this backdrop, reports in recent days about negotiations between the UK and the European Union ahead of the 20 November summit in Brussels have attracted particular attention.

According to reports in the international press, including Reuters, the Financial Times, Bloomberg and The Guardian, student mobility and the cost of university education form part of the broader effort to bring the two sides closer together. At the centre of discussions is the prospect of an agreement providing for reciprocal treatment of students in relation to tuition fees. Such a deal could significantly reduce the cost of studying in Britain for European students, while also benefiting British students choosing to attend universities in the EU.

However, the reports are not yet definitive. According to Reuters, the draft joint declaration currently under discussion envisages a commitment by both sides to pursue an agreement on equal treatment in tuition fees, with negotiations expected to be completed within six months. In practical terms, this means that even if a political agreement is reached on 20 November, European students will not automatically become entitled to pay the same fees as British students.

The reports also highlight the difficulties involved in the negotiations. Reducing tuition fees would have financial implications for British universities, many of which depend heavily on revenue from international students. The complexity of the issue is illustrated by reports in The Guardian that the UK government is considering making a substantial financial contribution to support a lower-fee system as part of a wider agreement with the EU.

The sharp decline in the number of European students

Research by the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory provides a particularly revealing picture of the impact of Brexit on student movement from the European Union to the UK. According to its findings, the number of EU students starting new courses at British universities fell by 57% between the 2020–21 and 2023–24 academic years.

In absolute terms, new enrolments fell from approximately 67,000 in the last academic year before the new rules took effect to 28,400.

According to the available aggregate figures for the 2024–25 academic year, approximately one in four students at British universities is international. Of these, fewer than one in ten are citizens of EU member states, as students from outside the EU numbered 621,970 out of a total of 2,863,180 students enrolled at UK higher education institutions.

Although enrolments from the EU have declined, Britain continues to attract hundreds of thousands of students from other parts of the world. The largest countries of origin are India, with approximately 95,000 students, and China, with around 93,600. Together, they account for 47% of all students from outside the EU.

Which European students are still choosing Britain?

As for which European countries continue to send students to Britain, Ireland now ranks first among EU member states. It is, however, a special case, as Irish citizens retain preferential status after Brexit under the Common Travel Area arrangements. They are therefore not subject to the same financial and immigration conditions as other Europeans.

They are followed by major countries in western and central Europe. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) confirms that the ten leading countries of origin have remained largely the same, although their positions in the rankings have shifted.

The top ten include, in addition to Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Greece, Cyprus and the Netherlands, which replaced Portugal in 2024–25.

As for the countries most affected by Brexit, the Migration Observatory’s research identifies striking differences. Between 2020–21 and 2023–24, new enrolments from Romania and Poland fell by approximately 80%, while those from France and Germany declined by less than 50%.

According to the researchers, the increase in costs disproportionately affected students from lower-income countries. Brexit has therefore not simply reduced the number of European students; it has also changed the socio-economic profile of those able to afford a British university education.

The impact of Brexit on Greek students

The experience of Greek students illustrates the consequences of Brexit particularly clearly.

According to figures from the British Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), included in a recent research paper by the University of Oxford, the number of Greek students starting courses at British universities fell from 4,240 in the 2020–21 academic year to just 1,515 in 2023–24 – a decline of 64%.

Source: HESA, data analysed in the research publication Post-Brexit Student Mobilities.

This does not mean, however, that Britain has lost its appeal as a study destination for Greeks. Research by Kubi Kalloo, published in 2024, found that 42% of young Greeks interested in studying abroad still regard the UK as their first choice.

At the same time, Greece is emerging as one of the most important global markets for British transnational education: 34,200 students were enrolled in programmes offered by British universities within Greece in 2024–25.

The picture is therefore more complex than a simple decline in demand. Interest in British education remains strong, but the financial burden is prompting increasing numbers of prospective students to seek alternative routes.

Greece’s position as one of the most important markets for transnational education (TNE) for British universities is also reflected in research by the British Council. In practice, this means that students can take courses offered by British universities without having to move to the UK, through partnerships with Greek educational institutions, colleges or other forms of educational provision.

This represents an increase of approximately 49% over five years. In 2022–23, Greece was the sixth-largest market for British transnational education worldwide and the largest within the EU.

Scholarships keeping the door to Britain open

Despite the increased costs, British higher education continues to offer funding opportunities for Greek students, both for full postgraduate degrees and shorter periods of academic research.

The British Council, the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, plays an active role in this area, acting as a bridge between the education systems of the two countries.

One of its most important initiatives is the GREAT Scholarships programme, run in partnership with British universities and the UK government’s GREAT Britain campaign.

For the 2026–27 academic year, six scholarships are being offered to Greek applicants for postgraduate study in a range of academic disciplines. Each scholarship is worth at least £10,000 towards the tuition fees for a one-year postgraduate course.

The participating institutions are Cardiff University, King’s Business School, the University of Bath, the University of Glasgow, the University of St Andrews and the University of Warwick.

These scholarships provide significant financial support, although they do not necessarily cover the full cost of tuition or living expenses.

The British Council is expected to announce the universities taking part in the next round of the programme for the 2027–28 academic year at a later date.

A second, equally interesting opportunity is a short-term scholarship programme run in partnership with the British Embassy in Athens and the State Scholarships Foundation (IKY).

The programme is aimed at postgraduate and doctoral students at Greek universities, giving them the opportunity to undertake a structured period of study and research at a British university of their choice. Its aim is to provide access to academic resources, opportunities to work with researchers, and the chance to collect material and gain experience that can be used in writing their master’s or doctoral dissertations.

The programme is running for the fifth consecutive year in 2026 and has already established a significant network of young researchers. According to figures provided by the partner organisations, a total of 148 scholarship recipients have benefited from the scheme since 2021. In the latest round, 24 applicants were selected: 18 doctoral candidates and six postgraduate students.

The next application round is expected to be announced by the organisations responsible for the programme.

Brexit has also created new educational pathways

The debate over the impact of Brexit is not limited to the difficulties faced by those wishing to move to Britain to study. It is worth noting that changes to the educational and institutional framework have also helped foster alternative forms of cooperation between British and Greek universities.

Transnational education (TNE), through which British universities offer degree programmes and educational services in other countries, is becoming increasingly important. This has led to the development of undergraduate and postgraduate partnerships, joint programmes and opportunities to obtain British qualifications without having to relocate permanently to the UK.

The prospect of British universities establishing branch campuses in Greece is also attracting particular interest, creating new options for those who wish to follow an international degree programme while remaining in their home country.

The return to Erasmus+ and the role of the British Council

A significant development in educational cooperation between the two sides is already under way, with the UK’s return to the Erasmus+ programme from 1 January 2027.

The agreement was formalised in April 2026 and is expected to restore important opportunities for mobility, exchanges and academic cooperation between British and European educational institutions.

Although this does not mean that higher fees for Europeans enrolling as full-time students at British universities will automatically be abolished, it opens up new opportunities for those wishing to gain educational experience in Britain through exchange programmes and partnerships involving their universities.

At the same time, graduates can still apply to remain in the country after completing their studies through the Graduate visa route, provided they meet the relevant requirements.

From 1 January 2027, the duration of this visa will be 18 months for graduates of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, compared with the two years available to those applying by 31 December 2026. Those completing doctoral studies will continue to be eligible to stay for up to three years.

At a time when educational ties between Greece and the UK are being redefined, providing prospective students with accurate information is particularly important.

The British Council remains one of the key organisations offering guidance and links to the British education system. Through its activities, university partnerships, scholarship programmes and academic mobility initiatives, it continues to maintain open channels of communication between the two countries.