LONDON (AP) – Growing up in a small Italian farming town, Andrea Guerini Rocco dreamed of pursuing a career in economics in a big, bustling city.
Three years ago, he thought that city would be London. He did his undergraduate studies at the London School of Economics, earning good grades and working at analyst internships he was passionate about. He was able to afford the lower tuition for European Union students – half what other international students pay – and he didn’t need a visa to work and live in Britain.
Yet Britain’s vote to leave the European Union changed all that. When the country leaves the bloc in 2019, there’s no promise that the financial and immigration perks for incoming European students and workers will remain.
So after the Brexit vote, when Rocco was preparing to enroll in a master’s degree, he decided to move to Columbia University in New York instead. Tuition is pricy in the United States and he’ll need more paperwork – but at least there’s clarity. He knows what he’s signing up for and can plan ahead.
“If Brexit was not happening I would have stayed in London,” the 22-year-old said. “The university is great. I love LSE.”
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