UK government ministers are being warned that any U-turn on their
commitments to grow international student numbers could result in
billions of pounds in lost revenue, wreck their growth plans, and
damage local economies in their own constituencies.
According to research from the Higher Education Policy Institute,
in conjunction with Universities UK, international students make
a net positive contribution of more than £25.9 billion to the
UK’s economy, with every part of the UK financially better off –
on average by £390 per person – because of international
students.
Alongside the immeasurable social and cultural benefit they bring
to our communities, international students and the financial
contribution they bring are central to the government’s own
strategy for economic growth, with the current strategy aiming to
grow education exports to £35 billion by 2030. Earlier this year,
the government was celebratory when it reached its own target of
600,000 international students earlier than planned.
Despite this, recent comments from the Home Secretary suggest a
belief that there are too many international students and
dependents in the UK, and even that this number should be
limited.
By limiting the number of international students in the UK, every
MP stands to lose the significant revenue that these students
bring to their own constituencies, including:
- £20.2 million for Suella Braverman’s constituency of Fareham
- £16 million for Prime Minister Liz Truss’ constituency of
South West Norfolk
Universities UK and Universities UK International are calling for
the Home Secretary to retract her comments on international
students, and to reaffirm the centrality of international
students and their dependents to their own plans for the economic
future of the UK.
CEO of Universities UK, Vivienne Stern MBE
said:
“The fact that so many international students chose to study in
the UK is a real success story, and the UK benefits in many ways
from hosting them. International students contribute to the UK’s
global connections in trade, politics and in research, and they
make an enormous economic contribution too.
“For a government focussed on growth, to try to reduce the appeal
to international students would be bizarre, especially when you
consider that they contribute nearly £26 billion to the UK
economy - and that this is spread throughout all parts of the UK.
It is even more bizarre when recent growth in international
student numbers has been a direct result of pro-growth government
policies and visa changes. We strongly urge the government not to
take such a retrograde step.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- Universities UK is the collective voice of 140 universities
in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its mission is
to create the conditions for UK universities to be the best in
the world; maximising their positive impact locally, nationally
and globally. Universities UK acts on behalf of universities,
represented by their heads of institution.www.universitiesuk.ac.uk
- International students face strict visa checks and must be
able to prove their financial status to be able to come to this
country. For example, an international student bringing a spouse
and two children under the age of 18 would need to evidence in
excess of £30,500 just in order to apply to come to the UK. This
figure is at the lower end of the spectrum, with those looking to
study for longer, or live in London, or bringing significantly
more dependants able to evidence tens of thousands more before
making an application to come to the UK.
