Students from Eastern European countries who were awarded places at British universities surged by up to 50 per cent ahead of the Brexit vote which threatens to stop migrants from cashing in on tax-payer backed loans.

The number of European Union (EU) students accepted on courses rose to 31,400, the highest on record, according to the latest figures released by Ucas, the universities admissions body. 

 However, by far the biggest increase in students came from poorer European countries such as Slovakia, which saw a 51 per cent increase from last year, while Poland and Serbia each increased by 27 per cent.

This compares to smaller increases in wealthier, western European countries such as France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, which all rose by less than five per cent.

Nick Hillman, Director of Higher Education Policy Institute, said: “The surge in EU recruitment may in time come to look like a burst of ‘buy now while stocks last’.

“Those applying before the referendum were in a sweet spot between the removal of student number controls and looming new challenges. For EU students, the future is likely to mean higher fees, no entitlement to student loans and tougher migration rules.”

EU students have access to lower fees and student loans but there are fears they could lose their benefits when Brexit takes place.

Under the current system, EU students are eligible to receive  undergraduate tuition fee loans from the British government if they have lived in the European Economic Area for at least three years prior to starting university. Tuition fees for EU undergraduates are currently set at the same rate as home-students.

Mr Hillman has previously called for EU students who return to their home countries without repaying their tuition loans to be treated like tax evaders. Researchers analysed the backgrounds of students who were given places at British universities this year.

They examined which EU countries students came from according to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. "Over the last ten years, the strongest growth in acceptances from the EU has come from countries with lower levels of GDP per capita," the report published on Thursday by Ucas found.

It added that since 2006, the number of students from poorer European countries has tripled to reach 8,900 in 2016. Alistair Jarvis, deputy chief executive of Universities UK said: “The UK's world-class university sector remains attractive to both EU and other international students. 

“More than 125,000 EU students are currently studying at UK universities. They make an important academic and cultural contribution to university life and support local communities and create jobs in all regions of the UK."

 The Ucas report also analysed the entry rate of ethnic groups and gender. It found that for the ninth consecutive year, the white ethnic group had the lowest entry rate to universities of all at 28.7 per cent.

The entry rate for Chinese students was twice as high, at 57.9 per cent, while Asians saw the biggest increase.  Figures also showed that young women are 35 per cent more likely to go to university than men, with the largest point difference between the two sexes ever recorded. 

Mary Curnock Cook, Ucas' chief executive, said the report highlights how white working-class boys remain the least likely to go to university.  "Our report underlines this point, showing that nearly three quarters of the group least likely to enter university are men, most are from lower income families, and nine out of ten are in the White ethnic group," she said. 

Source: Telegraph