Arts University Plymouth is an international arts university. We welcome students and staff from around the world and believe in the many creative benefits of studying and working globally.
We live by this ethos showcasing international creative artists in our gallery space, MIRROR, hosting guest lecturers from overseas, curating, publishing and exhibiting abroad and arranging exchange programmes with our overseas programmes. We want students and staff from the EU and beyond to know everyone is extremely welcome at the university.
We appreciate that there is on-going uncertainty as a result of Brexit. We will endeavour to keep this information as up-to-date as possible. The information below is correct at the time of writing (2 Nov 2020) on the basis of current government policy.
Please click on the dropdown tabs below to read our Frequently Asked Questions. For more information please contact international@aup.ac.uk
Brexit refers to the act of the UK leaving the European Union (EU), which was decided in a public referendum on Thursday 23 June 2016. The UK left the EU at 11pm GMT on 31 January 2020, and is now in a transitionary period of withdrawal, currently in effect until December 2020.
If you’re from the EU, EEA-EFTA states or Switzerland, and you’re looking to study in the UK, there are some extra considerations to make as a result of the UK leaving the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020. Please note, if you are an Irish national, these changes will not apply to you.
If you are currently studying at a UK university and your degree finishes before December 2020:
- You do not need to apply for settlement status to complete your degree.
- You should apply for settled or pre-settled status if you would like to stay in the UK beyond 31 December 2020.
If you’re an EU citizen and you start living in the UK before 1 Jan 2021:
- The UK government has confirmed that EU students who begin their degrees in or before the academic year 2020/2021 will still be eligible for home student fees and financial support and that this will remain the case throughout their full degree (whether the UK leaves the EU with a deal or under a no-deal scenario).
- Apply for EU Settlement Scheme to stay longer than 30 June 2021 (if you want to remain in the UK beyond 30 June 2021 and keep ‘home fee status’ beyond this date). The deadline for applying is 30 June 2021.
If you arrive in the UK after 1 January 2021 and start your course before 31 July 2021:
- Changes to immigration status, no changes to fee status
If you arrive in the UK after 1 January 2021 planning to study in the UK from 1 August 2021 onwards:
- There is no decision yet on the level of tuition fees or availability of any financial support for new students from the EU starting from 2021 onwards.
- If you arrive in the UK on or after 1 January 2021, there will be some changes. Many of these are still subject to negotiations, but through consultation with the UK government, the British Council and other universities in the UK, we will communicate any changes as quickly as possible and support you in planning your next steps.
At present, EU students studying at a university or further education institution have ‘home fee status’ in the UK. This means that if you’re an EU student, you pay the same tuition fees as students from the part of the UK where your university is located (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales).
- If you are a current university student from the EU and applied to a course starting in 2020, you will not see changes to your loan eligibility or fee status. You can still apply for a student loan in England and you will be charged the same tuition fees as UK students. This guarantee will apply for the full duration of the course, even if the course finishes after the UK has left the EU on 31 December 2020.
- If you are a new EU, EEA-EFTA or Switzerland student, starting a course in the UK from August 2021, you will no longer be eligible for home fee status or a student loan. Instead, each UK university will set its own fees for EU students.
If you’re thinking of joining Arts University Plymouth from August 2022 onwards, please email hello@aup.ac.uk for more information about fees and help with your application.
Find out more about funding and fees for EU students on the UK Council's website.
UK universities will be able to continue to take part in the Erasmus+ exchange programme until it ends. This should allow students to complete mobility periods and receive funding through the Erasmus+ programme until the end of the academic year 2020/2021. The UK government has committed to negotiating access to the Erasmus+ successor programme due to start in 2021.
Here at Arts University Plymouth, we work with partners across Europe, North America, India, China, Korea and beyond. Our cultural exchanges and international projects have a significant impact on our students, improving their employment prospects, bringing international practitioners and projects into the university, creating a rich and vibrant international culture and helping influence the way that we teach.
Across the UK and Europe, Higher Education and research organisations have reaffirmed their commitment to working together and developing relationships following the departure of the UK from the EU. They have called on their respective national governments and the European Commission to act on their commitments and work swiftly to agree a basis for continued collaboration through Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ before the end of 2020, allowing the development of innovative and stronger collaborations for future generations to benefit from.
Find out more information about EU and UK higher education institutions working together
Travel to the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein will change from 1 January 2021. The government has recommended that people check before they travel, and we remind staff and students that you will need travel insurance if you travel abroad.
Things you may need to do before you go include:
- Check requirements for visas (particularly under a no deal scenario, potentially either for entry to another country or to stay longer than 90 days)
- Consider travel insurance that will cover your healthcare. If leaving the EU under a withdrawal agreement, European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) will remain valid until at least 31 December 2020, but will not be valid if there is a no deal outcome.
- Check your passport to ensure it will be valid (Typical requirements are for your passport to be less than 10 years old, and have more than six months to go before it expires)
- Check you have the right driving documentation
- Organise pet travel - you need to contact your vet at least four months before you go
If you are looking for more information on international studies and the UK's decision to leave the EU, we recommend visiting the links below.
