Higher Education News
Monday 7 Mar 2016
Students will be better off if Britain remains in the EU
The referendum campaigns are now come in full swing in the wake of the Prime Minister’s deal with the European Union. Many opinion polls show a tight race, so every opportunity to promote staying in the EU must be grasped – which includes securing the vital 18-24 year old demographic.
Students currently look supportive of staying in. A recent survey carried out by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) found that of 1,000 full time undergraduate students, 70 per cent would vote to stay within the EU if a referendum were held tomorrow. With 6.8 million 18-24 year olds in the UK, the Remain campaign must turn out this vital demographic of votes at the referendum to succeed.
Engagement with the referendum, however, was seemingly less enthusiastic. 41 per cent of students said they have followed the debate ‘not very closely’, with just under a fifth (19 per cent) saying they have followed them ‘not closely at all’.
This apathy is even more concerning when considering the historic low-turnout of younger age groups. According to the British Electoral Study, 18-24 year olds have turned out less then every other age group since the 1970s. It is vital for the Remain campaign to enthuse the UK’s two million students to get to the polling booths on referendum day.
Student life would certainly be very different were Britain to be outside the EU. Teaching and research opportunities would suffer as Universities UK estimate that 14 per cent of academic staff come from EU member states, while Brussels provides £1 billion of research funding annually.
Students might also have to say goodbye to 125,000 of their EU friends studying in the UK, alongside the £2.2 billion in annual revenue they generate for British universities. Going off to study in EU countries could also come under jeopardy. Leaving the EU would put Britain’s participation in the Erasmus scheme in doubt – the EU university exchange programme that has seen more than 200,000 students and 20,000 academics take part since 1987.
Source: Conservative Home