UK study doors still open

How Brexit may affect your plans to study in the UK, or even elsewhere in Europe

Bona-fide SA students hoping to further their education in the UK have nothing to fear immediately from Britain’s intended departure from the EU and its crackdown on the abuse of student visas, says John Board, dean of Henley Business School.

However, the Brexit “divorce” could result in UK universities being excluded from EU accords allowing students to transfer academic credits between institutions in different countries. And if multinational financial services groups carry out threats to relocate their European headquarters from London to Frankfurt and other mainland cities, it could diminish demand for some UK degrees.

“It’s enormously important for London to remain a major global financial centre,” says Board, whose school, near London, is part of Reading University.

“Ambitious people want to work for the big companies and if their main European office is in the UK, that’s where they study.”

The UK crackdown on student visas is caused by foreign students, many from Asia, using study as an excuse to get a foothold in the UK, then staying on illegally after their visas expire.

“A lot of people are linking this with Brexit but it’s something that has been building for many years,” says Board, who was in SA recently for the graduation ceremony at Henley’s Johannesburg campus. The issue mainly affects foreign students attending lesser-known UK educational institutions, where the fees are lower.

“But if you are coming to a reputable institution to do a real degree for genuine, defensible reasons, you should have no reason to worry,” he says. “From Henley’s perspective, when it comes to business education, we expect to see no reduction in the number of foreign students coming to the UK to study for an MBA.”

Just in case, some universities and schools are employing visa specialists to smooth the way.

Board says the potential impact of losing reciprocal study rights between EU universities is not yet clear. Many “mainland” European students want to study in more than one country, so the ability to transfer credits across borders is welcome. “Student mobility across Europe has been a great success,” says Board.

UK students are more inward looking and make less use of the opportunity.

“But for foreign students who see the UK as a gateway for study across

Europe, this may be something to bear in mind,” says Board.