04 September 2014 
Matt Sisson, Projects and Membership Manager
The department for Business, Innovation, and Skills (BIS) is currently consulting on changes to the UK residency requirements for EU students to be able to access living costs support. Currently, although EU students can access support for student loans, in line with UK students, they have to be resident in the UK for the three prior years in order to claim supplementary support such as maintenance loans and grants, and the disabled students’ allowance. The BIS consultation proposes to extend the residence eligibility from three to five years.
An article in the THE covers the proposal, and highlights that the consultation “follows concerns over the potentially massive cost of providing loans and grants to thousands of extra EU students who may arrive at UK universities when student number controls are abolished in 2015-16”. The total paid to EU students via loans and grants has risen from £75 million in 2009-10 to £162 million in 2012-13, and BIS estimates that every 1,000 EU students that delay their entry for a year saves BIS £14.6million. Similarly every 1,000 that continue but without student support would save the government over £7million.
Full details of the proposals, and of the response process, can be found on the BIS website.
