It has long been recognised that foreign students are highly desirable and, indeed, an essential part of a university, providing cultural diversity to leaven an otherwise insular student body. They are also a useful source of income. According to Albert Mansbridge, in 1231 King Henry III commended the “no small profit” and “honour” that the overseas students at Oxford and Cambridge brought to his Kingdom.

Today, because Maltese students do not pay University fees in Malta, EU rules prevent the University of Malta from charging fees to any EU student, causing “no small loss” both to the University and to Malta. In contrast, Maltese students going to other EU universities pay fees which frequently exceed €11,000 per annum, with living expenses on top.

Nine years ago, on June 2, 2007, the Times of Malta published my letter proposing ways in which non-Maltese EU students could be charged fees without falling foul of EU regulations. My recommendations were not accepted, but under a new rector, they might well progress.

At Welsh universities, all EU students are charged the same fees, but Welsh residents receive a grant to set off against the cost. The scheme complies with EU regulations and could be applied in Malta. All EU students attending the University would pay fees, but those resident in Malta would receive a grant equal to the fees charged, thus effectively preserving the current situation. The only drawback to this is the danger that future governments might not increase the grant in line with fees.

To avoid this, all students could be made liable to pay fees, but those in possession of a Maltese language qualification could be exempted, regardless of where they came from. The University could also admit and collect fees from those Maltese students who, while lacking the language qualification, were academically and intellectually able.

Such students are welcomed by foreign universities, to which they pay substantial fees, adding to Malta’s “no small loss”, both in terms of funding and of brain-power. If such students return to Malta after graduation, their foreign degree still ranks with the corresponding University of Malta degree, even though they may lack academic and professional Maltese.

Success in the Maltese language examination could exempt students, whether Maltese, EU or even non-EU, from paying further fees. Thus those not gaining the language qualification would simply pay fees for the whole course, just as they would if they were studying abroad. This would serve to strengthen both the University’s finances and the use of Maltese.