After family members of post graduate students on non- research courses were banned to the UK, the number of foreign students in the UK are to be reduced by the government. The telegraph reported.
The report states, to avoid increased tuition fees for British students, Suella Braverman initiate to reduce the number of foreign students in the UK.
However, home secretary’s decision to reduce the number was blocked by the department of education, by arguing that these students “subsidise” home fees, report indicates.
Figures suggest, that 21% of universities in UK’s overall income in 2021-22 is made up of foreign student fees.
New restrictions were announced on the right of foreign students to bring dependence to the UK, as 606,000 annual net migration was recorded.
Students travelling to the UK for post graduate research courses only will be given the approval to bring their family members from next year.
At the conservative party conference last year, Braverman informed, substandard courses in inadequate institutes are cropping up due to the sheer quantity of students entering the country. Note from the Whitehall meeting, an argument by the home secretary indicates, due to the achievement of 600,000 foreign students entering UK annually by the government, it is time to constrain numbers.
The government had considered, cut down on international recruitment to all except Elite universities.
However, a private warning by the department of education that more tax payer’s money will be diverted to higher tuition fees or universities for British students if there is a collapse in international students.
A source from the department of education said, the money for subsidizing tuition fees comes from international students. They further stated, a compromise is reached with the home office and no further restrictions are expected.
Director of universities UK international, Jamie Arrowsmith, representing British higher education institutions on the world stage, made a similar argument opposing the cutdown of foreign students’ numbers. He said finding gaps are bridged by foreign students.
Any further reduction of international students will prove catastrophic for the sector, a senior person in the university sector indicated. The funding structures of all universities in the country, centered on foreign student fees.
