Richard Howiltt inside the Parliament building at Brussels

Foreign students may shun Cambridge and other British Universities because of their rising fees, a report predicts.

The three-year Anglia Ruskin University study found the increase to the cap on tuition fees in England and the increased use of English around European Universities means high-flying foreign students from other EU countries (they are subject to the same fees) will start to desert England in favour of what they see as more favourable options.

Richard Howitt, MEP for the East of England, expressed concern.

He said: “I worry that Cambridge may lose out on the brightest and the best as they seek out other Universities in Germany or Holland.

“I don’t want to see a brain drain which will enable other European countries to overtake Britain.”

He also acknowledged the importance of universities in breaking down cultural divisions,

He added: “We need to attract the best that Europe has to offer in order to enrich the learning experience of British students.”

He urged the Government to heed the conclusions of the report and ensure that the East of England remained a positive destination for ambitious foreign students.

If the report’s predictions are correct then countries like Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands, where tuition fees are much lower or nonexistent, will start to eat into what was previously the preserve of English Universities. This would result in further economic pressure on the higher educational system as the fees foreign students pay often subsidise additional courses.

The report will be released tomorrow (Friday).