in-cyprus 2 February 2026 - by Stelios Marathovouniotis
European Parliament member Loucas Fourlas said efforts are under way to reopen discussions on tuition fees for European Union students in the United Kingdom following Brexit, citing recent developments in academic cooperation as a potential pathway towards change.
Speaking in a Filenews podcast, Fourlas said the return of British universities to the EU’s Erasmus+ programme could create the conditions for revisiting the issue of tuition fees, which rose sharply after the UK left the bloc.
“The fact that British universities are returning to Erasmus+ is a positive development,” Fourlas said. “It creates a framework within which the issue of tuition fees can be reopened.”
He said the loss of home-fee status for EU students after Brexit had imposed a heavy burden on families across Europe, adding that the issue remains politically and socially sensitive. “Tuition fees skyrocketed after Brexit, and this affected thousands of families,” he said.
Fourlas said education should not be treated as collateral damage of political decisions and argued that restoring more equitable access to British universities should be part of broader EU–UK engagement. “Education must not be another victim of Brexit,” he said.
He added that initiatives under Erasmus+ could help rebuild trust and cooperation between the EU and the UK, creating momentum for broader discussions on student mobility and costs. “If there is political will, this issue can be put back on the table,” Fourlas said.
Fourlas said he would continue to raise the matter within the European Parliament, stressing that access to affordable education remains a core European value.
