The 2026 Ministry of Research and Higher Education (MESR) Student Fair will take place on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October at the Coque on the Kirchberg, and we will be manning our stand there as we have done for many years. This is the first year that MESR is using the Coque, which is considered to be more convenient than the venue at the campus of the University of Luxembourg at Belval used for the the last few years.
Studying for an undergraduate degree at Cambridge University, indeed at any university in England and Wales, has become much more expensive for most students from the EU since the UK left the EU. EU students lost their eligibility for the same tuition fees as “home” students and for loans from the Student Loans Company (SLC) to cover those fees and maintenance costs. Instead they face the much higher International tuition fees, and are not eligible for the SLC loans . Further, the exception that was granted to the children of UK parents living in the EU who remained eligible for home fees and student loans will no longer apply for students starting their undergraduate courses after the end of 2027. The increased costs have proved to be a significant disincentive, and the number of students in Luxembourg applying to Cambridge has fallen considerably since Brexit. Nonetheless, each year since Brexit we have had successful applicants, including students from Luxembourg Lycées as well as from the International School of Luxembourg, St, George’s, and the European Schools.
There remains considerable interest among students in Luxembourg schools and their parents to find out about Cambridge University, the courses on offer, the opportunities that still exist, and generally about “the Cambridge experience”. Cambridge after all is one of the world’s leading universities with a huge reputation. So long as this interest exists, we are pleased to take part in the Student Fair to promote the University, provide information and answer questions. It is possible that the current initiatives of the Labour Government of Andy Burnham and the EU for closer relations, including proposals to reduce the tuition fees for EU students will stimulate increased interest at this year’s Fair. Let’s hope so!
We will be manning our Stand No. 124 throughout the Fair, from 09:00 to 18:00 on Thursday, and from 09:00 to 16:00 on Friday, and are looking forward to two days of interesting interaction with students and parents.
