Letter from Nick Gibb, MP - Fee status and financial support from Student Finance England (SFE) for EU citizens (23 October 2020)

27 October 2020

23 October 2020

Dear James,

Thank you for your letter of 1 July, regarding changes in fee status and financial support from Student Finance England (SFE) for EU citizens.
We will continue to welcome talented individuals from overseas, including EU citizens, to undertake initial teacher training (ITT) in England under the new immigration system. There is, and will continue to be, no limit on the number of international students who can come to the UK to study, and the new graduate visa route will be launched in summer 2021 to allow those who have completed a degree at a UK higher education institution to stay in the UK for two years, or three years for PhD graduates. Those with a graduate visa would be able to work or train as a teacher during this time.

Regarding the removal of home fee status and financial support from SFE, this will apply to EU citizens who are not in scope of the citizens’ rights protections and are starting courses in the 2021-22 academic year or after.

EU citizens starting courses in the 2020-21 academic year or before will remain eligible for home fee status and financial support from SFE for the duration of their course, as will EU citizens who are within scope of the citizens’ rights protections. This means that EU citizens resident in the UK before the end of the transition period, 31 December 2020, will continue to be eligible for student support on a similar basis as now, provided they meet the eligibility criteria. We will be announcing the financial incentives available for ITT courses starting in academic year 2021-22 this autumn.