A report from the Financial Times reveals a significant decline in the number of Nigerian, Indian, and other international students enrolling in UK universities in 2024. This drop, which is over a third, has raised concerns about a potential financial crisis at UK universities.
This decrease in enrollment comes in the wake of a decision by UK authorities to prohibit international students from bringing dependents on their study visa. This policy change has sparked fears of a financial deficit in UK universities due to the dwindling numbers of foreign students.
The decline in international students, especially those from Nigeria and India, has alarmed experts in the education industry about the future of the sector. Vivienne Stern, the chief executive of Universities UK (UUK), which represents more than 140 universities, referred to the situation as a “serious overcorrection” triggered by immigration policies that discourage international students from studying in Britain.
Stern underscored the need for the UK government to address the risk to a sector that contributes £71 billion annually to the UK economy. She proposed three interventions to prevent the looming crisis and stabilize the sector: adjusting tuition fees in line with inflation, increasing government teaching grants, and stabilizing the international market by toning down negative rhetoric and resolving uncertainties over the graduate route.
With domestic tuition fees having been frozen for the past decade, UK universities have increasingly depended on international students to balance their budgets. Fees from international students now constitute nearly 20% of the sector’s income.
The sector was shocked by the data showing the number of international students enrolling in schools in 2024, which was significantly lower than expected. This comes after new immigration policies announced by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier this month, which ban international graduate students from bringing family members to the UK.
Moreover, data from Enroly, a web platform used by a large number of international students for university enrollment, showed a 37% decrease in deposit payments compared to the previous year. An analysis by PwC consultants revealed that the sector is facing new challenges due to a combination of falling international student numbers, frozen tuition fees, rising staff wage bills, and a softening in UK student numbers.
Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister Robert Halfon emphasized the need to balance immigration policies and attract international students. He stated, “We are fully focused on striking the right balance between acting decisively to tackle net migration, which we are clear is far too high, and attracting the brightest students to study at our universities.”