Hungarian students are looking for new destinations after Brexit

Following Brexit, it could easily happen that those coming from the EU will spend two to three times as much on university and college education in the UK from the next school year as before. No wonder Hungarian students are choosing other European higher education institutions in search of alternatives.

Veronika, who is graduating this year from a reputable high school in Budapest, had a long desire to continue her studies in Scotland, where so far, education has been free for EU students. Her primary reasons include improving her English in an English-speaking country, and the simple fact that the cost of a Scottish education could be covered by the family budget, writes Index.hu. But Brexit happened, and Veronika’s original plans changed.

As she says, after the painful disappointment of the first emotional shock, the alternative choice finally came to Veronica. The target is now Ireland, where she wants to pursue the same field as in Scotland: Economics. This is fortunately available at several Irish universities. She will submit her application by the deadline of January 20, and then, based on the points obtained in the graduation exams, it will be determined in August whether the admission was successful.

Veronika is also one of the students who, as an EU citizen, can now continue to study in the UK under the same conditions as students from outside the EU before 31 December 2020. That is, 

Brexit will increase the price for future students in the UK. Instead of the current 9,250 pounds (more than 3.6 million forints), fees for EU students who would like to study in British higher education will increase to between 10 and 38 thousand pounds (about HUF 4-15 million) per year.

In addition to tuition fees that may double or triple, from the next school year, EU students will miss out on the opportunity to apply for reduced student loans previously available to them. This is a huge loss because many consider the British student loan scheme much more “friendly” than it is in Hungary since, previously, it covered 100% of students’ studies and was relatively easily accessible for everyone.

This previously relatively easily available loan covered virtually all the costs students studying in the UK paid for their studies. Although they had to apply for it, this mostly meant paperwork. Almost everyone received it, and it only had to be repaid when the student’s income reached a certain level, which was relatively high for a Hungarian, says Balázs Lévai, the co-founder and managing director of the Engame Academy, which helps secondary school students to study abroad.

In addition to the fact that Brexit complicates administration in the area, as Hungarian students have so far been able to study in the UK without a visa, at the end of the transition period, those coming for more than six months must apply for a student visa, which costs an additional £812 (approximately HUF 300 thousand) for them.