UK universities should  reduce visa applications by 20% annually for foreign students, others – Report

A recent report is recommending that universities in the United Kingdom reduce their visa allocations by 20% each year for foreign students.

Also it suggests that the UK’s international education strategy should be rewritten to target diversification by country and qualification level.

A key challenge highlighted is the availability of accommodation, a problem  also faced in Australia and Canada, which many are considering is limiting international student numbers. The SMF ties its main recommendation to easing this strain.

This is in a bid to prevent uncontrolled expansion while still keeping the UK attractive to international students, according to a new report called Social Market Foundation (SMF).

The publication follows the government’s decision not to scrap the UK’s graduate visa after the Migration Advisory Committee advised against it.

SMF also argues that public opinion has become more negative towards international students, partly due to the belief that they are taking spots from domestic applicants.

It also warns that universities’ advocacy strategy could seem arrogant and out of touch, dismissing and misrepresenting public concerns. Ignoring these issues could mean missing a valuable opportunity to address them.

What the report says

Based on the issues highlighted, the SMF therefore suggested the government does the following:

• If a university is unable to take on more students is further limited, teaching grants should be increased to make up for the lost income.
• Reforming the country’s visa system is to spread out rising costs over time, preventing them from becoming a barrier for top international applicants.
• Increase direct funding grants to universities to reduce reliance on international fees for subsidizing domestic students.
• The current grant of about £1,150 per student should be restored to 2020-21 levels in real terms and adjusted for inflation.
• The SMF recommends not increasing the target of attracting 600,000 international students to the UK.
• Instead, new targets should focus on reducing universities’ reliance on income from just one or two countries.
• Universities should allocate more student visas to undergraduate and research students rather than master’s courses to provide more sustainable funding and strengthen the UK’s research pipeline.

Drop in international applications  

 Nairametrics reported earlier that restrictions on international students this year are believed to have already led to a decrease in overseas applications. 

A survey of 75 institutions revealed that 90% of universities in the UK are experiencing fewer international applications for the next academic year, with a 27% decrease in total applications for taught postgraduate courses compared to the previous year.