What effect would a Brexit have on Higher Education? Jun 21st
On the 23rd June 2016 people in the UK will be voting to either leave or stay in the European Union. Research from an online money saving voucher website suggests that 64% of university students have concerns about travel and opportunities around Europe if we left and 48% feel neither campaign has given a clear answer as to how a Brexit will affect daily life. Website My Voucher Codes spoke to students currently studying at university to find out how they feel about the referendum and also what they think about the In campaign and Out campaign.
You can find their full results in this article on the Independent, whilst we explore the student’s main concerns over a Brexit vote.
Harder to travel around Europe
Some statements from the In campaign have suggested that if we left the EU we would find ourselves needing visas to travel on the continent. Currently as part of the EU we only need a passport to travel to France, Spain, and Germany etc. but would we then need to pay for a visa to visit these countries if we left. Well probably not, prior to joining the EU as we know it now, we did not have to have a visa to travel to European countries so in all likelihood we won’t need to after we left.
Harder to gain work in Europe
Now this could be harder, we are currently part of the free movement of workers, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union covers people being able to freely move around Europe for work, without the need of visa’s and work permits. This means EU citizens are entitled to: look for a job in another EU country. However if we left we would not be part of this, so although it would stop people seeking work in the UK from the EU freely it would also mean British nationals in the UK were unable to freely seek work in Europe.
Effect on employment after university
This is tricky, only guesses and estimations can be used for this, there is no definitive way of knowing what would happen to the jobs market in the UK if we left. If we stay then there is more of a probability not much would change, however we will still have free movement of people so the jobs market could continue to be stretched as people from the EU seek employment in the UK. Many people have stated though that if we were to leave then there would be an impact on jobs in the UK and we could see a rise in unemployment as there would be a decline in economic activity.
Loss of funding for education from EU grants
“UK universities receive an additional 15% in funding from the EU, on top of what the UK government gives them. Much of this is for research and development. The UK receives the second largest share of EU research funding.” – British Influence, 30 September 2015
So if we leave the EU universities would lose funding, the UK Government could make up the difference but in recent years their cuts have seen resources drop, so it’s not guaranteed that short falls could be made up. The EU also supplies grants towards research again this would stop and we could see programmes halted if there isn’t enough funding coming in. The EU also funds British students to study abroad through Erasmus, this will also end.
Jun 21st
On the 23rd June 2016 people in the UK will be voting to either leave or stay in the European Union. Research from an online money saving voucher website suggests that 64% of university students have concerns about travel and opportunities around Europe if we left and 48% feel neither campaign has given a clear answer as to how a Brexit will affect daily life. Website My Voucher Codes spoke to students currently studying at university to find out how they feel about the referendum and also what they think about the In campaign and Out campaign.
You can find their full results in this article on the Independent, whilst we explore the student’s main concerns over a Brexit vote.
Harder to travel around Europe
Some statements from the In campaign have suggested that if we left the EU we would find ourselves needing visas to travel on the continent. Currently as part of the EU we only need a passport to travel to France, Spain, and Germany etc. but would we then need to pay for a visa to visit these countries if we left. Well probably not, prior to joining the EU as we know it now, we did not have to have a visa to travel to European countries so in all likelihood we won’t need to after we left.
Harder to gain work in Europe
Now this could be harder, we are currently part of the free movement of workers, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union covers people being able to freely move around Europe for work, without the need of visa’s and work permits. This means EU citizens are entitled to: look for a job in another EU country. However if we left we would not be part of this, so although it would stop people seeking work in the UK from the EU freely it would also mean British nationals in the UK were unable to freely seek work in Europe.
Effect on employment after university
This is tricky, only guesses and estimations can be used for this, there is no definitive way of knowing what would happen to the jobs market in the UK if we left. If we stay then there is more of a probability not much would change, however we will still have free movement of people so the jobs market could continue to be stretched as people from the EU seek employment in the UK. Many people have stated though that if we were to leave then there would be an impact on jobs in the UK and we could see a rise in unemployment as there would be a decline in economic activity.
Loss of funding for education from EU grants
“UK universities receive an additional 15% in funding from the EU, on top of what the UK government gives them. Much of this is for research and development. The UK receives the second largest share of EU research funding.” – British Influence, 30 September 2015
So if we leave the EU universities would lose funding, the UK Government could make up the difference but in recent years their cuts have seen resources drop, so it’s not guaranteed that short falls could be made up. The EU also supplies grants towards research again this would stop and we could see programmes halted if there isn’t enough funding coming in. The EU also funds British students to study abroad through Erasmus, this will also end.
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