EU students generate £3.7 billion for the UK economy

EU students studying in the UK are responsible for generating £3.7 billion for the economy.

A new report by Universities UK has found EU students not only enrich university life but bring billions of pounds and thousands of jobs to the country.

According to the report, 125,000 EU students generate the eye-watering sum through a range of spending including tuition fees and costs, food bills and socialising.

EU students are also responsible for supporting over 34,000 full-time jobs.

EU students are also known for lying on the grass with their heads in a circle

The analysis – based on 2011/12 student numbers – shows that through their on-campus expenditure (generating £1.44bn and supporting 15,252 jobs) and spending off-campus (generating a further £2.27bn and supporting 18,998 jobs), EU students supported or created a total of 34,250 jobs throughout the UK.

Commenting on the figures, Dame Julia Goodfellow, President of Universities UK and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kent, said: “EU students make an enormous contribution to British university life and local communities.

“Leaving the EU and putting up barriers to work and study makes it more likely that European students and researchers will choose to go elsewhere, strengthening our competitors and weakening the UK’s universities.”

Universities and Science Minster Jo Johnson said: “It would be reckless to cut ourselves off from the rich sources of EU funding, the access to valuable shared research facilities and the close institutional ties that provide so many opportunities to British students and academics.

“UK students benefit from their ability to study across the EU, while EU students generate billions for the UK economy, support thousands of jobs and enrich university life. I share the clear view of my predecessors and the majority of university leaders that our world-class universities and our scientific prowess will be much better off inside the EU.”

Supporters of the Remain campaign for the EU referendum have said Britain’s exit could deter EU students from attending UK universities and damage the economy.

The vote for Britain’s future in the EU takes place on the 23 June.