Universities' fears over cuts to overseas students

Universities across Yorkshire have warned that planned cuts to the number of international students coming to the UK could push more institutions into debt.

Analysis by BBC News found the 10 major universities in the region made a combined financial loss of nearly £160m in the past three years.

Both the Conservatives and Labour have promised to reduce the overall levels of net immigration into the UK if they win next month's general election.

Prof Karen Bryan, chair of the regional partnership Yorkshire Universities, said a 20% drop in overseas students across the country would lead to more universities ending up in deficit.

According to the BBC’s analysis of published financial accounts, four of the 10 major universities in Yorkshire ran at a loss in 2022/23, which forced some to cut staff numbers and reduce the number of courses offered.

They were York St John University, Leeds Beckett University, Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Huddersfield.

Prof Bryan said: "The measures taken already by the government to restrict dependents and to increase visa costs have led to a lower number of applications from foreign students. Our March cohort was around 11% down."

She added: "Yorkshire is the second most attractive place in the UK after London for international students so potentially there is a bigger hit for universities in this region.

"We want to contribute to local and national economic prosperity and if the government, any government, wants us to do that they will need to start to address some of the funding gaps that exist in the sector."

Figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show that 50,000 international students were studying in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in 2022/23, up from 32,000 in 2014/15.

Fees for British students have been frozen at £9,000 a year since 2012, but some international students can pay in excess of £30,000 a year for their tuition.

Sheffield Hallam University has lost more than £60m in the past seven years and in May announced that up to 400 jobs could be lost in the latest round of savings.

Dan Grace, a librarian working at Sheffield Hallam, said: “Everyone's concerned about their job at the moment, I don't think anyone feels like they're safe."

He said library budgets had been cut, meaning he felt they could not provide "essential" resources that students needed.

However, the university said students continued to "have the resources they need for their success".

It said spending on library services had remained "relatively consistent" and had increased from the previous year in the last financial year.

A spokesperson for the university added: "The government’s actions to curb international student recruitment, despite the many economic and cultural benefits they bring, is making the financial picture much worse.

"Our projections for 2024/25 show international student numbers are likely to be significantly down on previous years – which would see our income fall by nearly £20m."

In May, the Conservative government barred foreign postgraduate students on non-research courses from being able to bring family members with them to the UK, in a move the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said would reduce the number of migrants arriving into the country.

Taha Khan is an international student who came to study in Huddersfield in 2020 from Pakistan. He is now president of the university's students' union.

"Foreign students are attracted to the UK because of the history of the universities and their prestige," he said.

"It’s also a place where we are free to learn and free to speak."

The UK’s graduate visa currently allows overseas students to spend two years working in the UK after completing their course.

Mr Khan added: “Many international students are continuously stressed about potential changes to visas and the possibility we might not be able to pursue a career in this country. I have invested my money and time and I want to give something back to the UK because it has made me the person I am today.”

Going forward, Labour said it would "act to create a secure future for higher education" while also reducing the overall level of net migration.

In their manifesto, the Conservatives said they would end the ability of all international students entering the UK to bring dependents, while Reform UK said “only international students with essential skills could remain in the UK when their study ends”.

The Liberal Democrats would “review” the financing of higher education and reinstate maintenance grants for disadvantaged students - while the Green Party pledged it would allow international students to bring family members with them to the UK and promised to abolish undergraduate tuition fees.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]