Strasbourg, France. Cypriot member of the European Parliament Loucas Fourlas called on the British government to reduce university tuition fees for Cypriots and other European Union citizens who choose to study in the United Kingdom. He made the remarks during a European Parliament plenary session on Wednesday.
Call for reduced fees and equal access
Fourlas said that “a stronger and more autonomous Europe cannot be built only with defence and geopolitical strategies, it is built with knowledge, with young people, with equal opportunities in education.” He said he wished to focus on what he described as a serious political question relating to relations with other countries, arguing that EU citizens studying in the UK face “endless fees” since the UK’s departure from the EU.
He said “education cannot be transformed to a tool of exclusion, nor can it be collateral damage in geopolitical tensions.”
Planned London visit and message to EU institutions
Fourlas said he would travel to London on February 17 as a member of the education committee, with the goal of working towards reducing fees. He also addressed European institutions, saying that if the UK wishes to re-examine its relationship with the EU, the relationship cannot be one-sided and should include a goodwill step such as lowering tuition fees for European students.
Fee increases after UK exit from single market
Tuition fees for EU citizens at British universities have risen since the UK left the European single market at the end of 2020. British students’ fees have increased to £9,535 (€10,922) per year for bachelor’s degrees, with the most recent increase taking effect last year.
Following the change, the EU requirement that students from across the bloc be allowed the same access to UK universities was lifted, allowing universities to charge EU citizens more. Some UK universities have begun charging EU citizens as much as £38,000 (€43,529) per year.
Criticism of EU leadership on geopolitical developments
Fourlas also criticised EU leadership statements on recent geopolitical developments, asking why they “forgot Cyprus.”
What steps, if any, do you think could improve educational access for EU students seeking to study in the United Kingdom?
