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Students

Brexit: information for students

York St John University is proud to be an international University, welcoming staff and students from all over the world. We are committed to our position in Europe and recognise the importance of research, teaching and student mobility in an environment where people of all backgrounds can flourish.

The UK gave formal notification of its intention to withdraw from the European Union (by triggering Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union), on 29 March 2017. Following the general election in December 2019, the Conservative Government stated its intention to take the UK out of the European Union on 31 January 2020. 

The UK government has reached an agreement with the European Union on a future relationship which took effect from 1 January 2021.

There is no change to the position of EEA nationals (EU, non-EU EEA and Swiss citizens) and their family members in the UK during this time which means students and their family members can continue to exercise their residency rights in the UK.

The UK’s decision to leave the EU has led to uncertainty for many of our students, staff and postgraduate researchers. Our priority is to ensure that we are doing all that we can to support those who may be affected.

Additional information below aims to address some of the questions you may have about studying at York St John University as the UK redefines its relationship with other European countries. We will update this page with new information as it is available. If you have any further queries about how Brexit might affect you as an EU student, please contact eu@yorksj.ac.uk 

 

Announcement from York St John University on 31 January 2020

It seems like a long time since the UK gave formal notification of its intention to withdraw from the European Union by triggering Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, on 29 March 2017.

Following the general election in December 2019, the Conservative Government stated its intention to take the UK out of the European Union, and today, we enter into a post-Brexit transition period until 31 December 2020.

The Brexit process has led to uncertainty for many of our staff and students and whilst some details regarding the UK’s withdrawal remain unclear, our priority is to ensure that we are doing all we can to support those who may be affected.

We have been supporting EU and EEA colleagues to access documentation needed for the EU Settlement Scheme. Information for students is available below and anyone with queries, big or small, about how Brexit might affect them can contact eu@yorksj.ac.uk 

The University has a Brexit Planning Group that includes members of the Executive Board, Heads of Service and colleagues involved in business continuity and operational activity. The group liaises regularly with national and regional partners, including UUK, the City of York Council and the NHS to assess the potential impact of Brexit on staff and students and understand contingency planning at local level.

It is unclear how Brexit will affect research funding following withdrawal from the European Union, although the UK will continue to participate in programmes financed by the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014-2020 until their closure. This includes Horizon 2020, the EU’s current, €80 billion research and innovation programme. The UK Government’s position is to ensure UK institutions continue to have full access to Horizon 2020 funding, with the UK becoming an associated country, following an orderly withdrawal.

For more information on how Brexit will affect universities, please have a look at regularly updated information from Universities UK (UUK).

Information accurate as of 31 January 2020, taken from the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website.

For 2019/20 students of York St John University

Government Student Support and 'home' fee status eligibility

The funding bodies in England, Scotland and Wales have all given some assurances to EU nationals about continuing eligibility for loans and grants. See UKCISA information on:

Immigration

In either a deal or a no-deal scenario, the UK Government has said that citizens of:

  • EU countries,
  • non-EU EEA countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), and
  • Switzerland

can continue to enter the UK after Brexit. Entry will require either:

  • a valid passport, or
  • a valid national identity card (in a no-deal scenario, this option will not be applicable to non-EU EEA citizens).

You will be able to use ePassport gates where these are available at the airport, and where:

  • your passport has a chip, and
  • you are at least 12 years old.

Eligible family members of EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who are not themselves EU/EEA/Swiss citizens will need to obtain a family permit before entering the UK.

EU Settlement Scheme

If a Withdrawal Agreement is agreed, EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and their eligible family members who are already in the UK before the UK leaves the EU (31 January 2020), and those who come to the UK before the end of the transitional/implementation period (31 December 2020), can apply for immigration permission in the UK under a scheme designed by the UK Government, known as the EU Settlement Scheme – this will need to be done to remain in the UK after the end of the transitional/implementation period. Otherwise, immigration can be applied for under another category of the immigration Rules.

If there is not a Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU, the EU Settlement Scheme will operate in a much more restricted capacity: there will be separate provisions for those coming to the UK after the UK leaves the EU (31 January 2020).

Please note: The scheme will also be available to those who were resident in the UK before the UK leaves the EU and who meet the eligibility criteria, but who are temporarily absent from the UK when the UK leaves the EU for a period and/or reason described under the definition of the 'continuous qualifying period' in Annex 1 – Definitions.

Information accurate as of 31 January 2020, taken from the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website.

For 2020/21 students of York St John University

Government Student Support and 'home' fee status eligibility

On 28 May 2019, England confirmed that:

[…] EU nationals who start a higher education course in England in the 2020/21 academic year will remain eligible for undergraduate and postgraduate financial support, Advanced Learner Loans as well as FE and apprenticeships support, whether a deal for leaving the EU is in place or not.

Immigration

If a final agreement is reached, EEA citizens and their eligible family members can still come to the UK before the end of the transitional/implementation period (31 December 2020), and apply for immigration permission in the UK under a scheme designed by the UK Government, known as the EU Settlement Scheme – this will need to be done to remain in the UK after the end of the transitional/implementation period. Otherwise, immigration can be applied for under another category of the immigration Rules. Those arriving after the transitional/implementation period (from 1 January 2021) will need to apply for immigration permission to come to the UK under a category of the immigration Rules which are in place at that time.

If there is not a Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU, the EU Settlement Scheme will operate in a much more restricted capacity, and there will be separate provisions for those coming to the UK after the UK leaves the EU (31 January 2020).

Erasmus+ and studying abroad

We remain committed to enabling students to study and work abroad. Many of our students participate in the Erasmus+ programme, which is funded by the European Commission and provides a grant for students to study and work in Europe.

The terms of the Withdrawal Agreement on 31 January 2020 outline that the UK will continue to participate in the current Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programmes.

There is no immediate change to our participation in the Erasmus+ programme. We will be working to protect our involvement and to preserve and develop the close links we have with European universities.

Further up-to-date information can be found on the Erasmus+ website. You can also contact our Study Abroad team with queries on Erasmus+ and on studying abroad.

If you have any other queries about how Brexit might affect you as an EU student, please contact eu@yorksj.ac.uk.

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