Tuition Fee Hike has Some British Students Seeking Greener Pastures and a Better Value Abroad

Tuition Fee Hike has Some British Students Seeking Greener Pastures and a Better Value Abroad PR Newswire LONDON, September 28, 2012 LONDON, September 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As universities across the UK welcome back students for the 2012-2013 academic year, some are finding fewer students enrolled in courses than expected. And according to Currencies Direct - Europe's leading provider of currency exchange services - many British students are realising that universities abroad can offer a great educational value and relief from the higher British tuition fee regime. 2012 saw 15,000 fewer British students seek space at universities in England, according to a report released last month by the Independent Commission on Fees. This drop coincides with the new tuition fee regime, in which universities in England are now charging fees for British students of up to £9,000 per year, to be repaid by graduates upon completion of their study. According to the report, nearly 1 in 20 students who would ordinarily be expected to pursue a space at a university in England failed to do so - with the higher percentage coming from middle and upper-class families unlikely to benefit from financial support. This decline is not apparent in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which are not subjected to the new tuition regime and largely saw expected application figures. Going Dutch? Dutch universities are fast becoming popular with British students seeking high quality education at a low cost.