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Reform UK claims it would renegotiate Brexit deal to stop resident foreign students accessing UK student loan system

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LemonJam Thu 30-Apr-26 17:38:03

'Charmers' is one word for it WWM2.

Step 1- Reform, if elected to government, will ask the EU politely to change the formal Brexit treaty with regard to The EU Settlement Status Scheme, EUSS. That is a reciprocal settled status scheme for respective former EU and UK residents who emigrated from their respective original EU/UK countries. What is Reform going to offer the EU in return. What message is Reform sending to people born in the UK that have EUSS rights living in say Spain or France? Does Reform not respect their settled rights? Three prizes for guessing the EU's response. What will Reform do if the EU just simply says no to the request for change?

Step 2, and only if and when Reform get that far- they then intend to prevent those with EUSS rights accessing student loans to help fund their university education. That is a LOAN that is subject to repayment, with interest, to become educated at degree level, that may lead to a good job that may benefit UK society.

The EU settlement Status Scheme, EUSS, was launched on 30 March 2019 and the deadline to apply was 30 June 2021. How many students with EUSS rights have completed their 3 year university education and failed to repay their student loan since 2019?

Unless Reform knows the stats and figures of post university EUSS students that have failed to make their repayments there is no evidence that this Reform policy will save any money whatsoever. Just another divisive policy that could harm our relationship with the EU- just when we need it the UK/EU relationship to be strong.

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Oreo Thu 30-Apr-26 17:15:08

Tolerance has got us the country we have today unfortunately.
If Labour or Conservatives or even Reform were to at last get tough with rules around loans and freebies then it could only be a good thing.
I really fear tho that things have gone much too wrong to ever be righted.

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Oreo Thu 30-Apr-26 17:00:24

4 billion that could be used towards better things?I see nothing wrong with this policy at all.
Loans for students cost a fortune and very many are never paid back even from British students.
Freebies in very many areas are a big part of the draw towards our shores.

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Whitewavemark2 Thu 30-Apr-26 16:16:04

What charmers they are.

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LemonJam Thu 30-Apr-26 16:12:44

Suella Braverman, Reform UK’s education spokesperson, says today, Reform UK would stop foreign students who are resident in the UK accessing student loans.

In recent years universities have become increasingly dependent on foreign students. They can charge them much higher fees, and the income from foreign students helps to fund the teaching for students from Britain, whose fees are capped.

The Reform UK policy would not affect these foreign students – because they cannot access the UK student loan system anyway. Instead, the policy would apply to UK resident foreign students – e.g. EU nationals with settled status (permission to live in the UK granted as part of the Brexit settlement, because they were here before) and foreigners with indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

Explaining the policy, Reform UK said: "Currently, 270,000 - 300,000 UK resident foreign nationals access £4bn worth of taxpayer-backed student loans each year, many of which are unlikely ever to be repaid. At the same time, British graduates face long-term debt and rising living costs. This measure will save approximately £2bn annually." The party said resident foreign students from Hong Kong and Ukraine would not be covered by this policy.

As the Reform UK party acknowledges in its news release, stopping people with EU settled status living in the UK from accessing the UK student loan system would require a renegotiation of the UK’s Brexit deal with the EU. The EU would not give up this concession lightly, and any attempt to renege on the agreement could lead to Brussels imposing retaliatory measures of its own.

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