Education
UK to Charge Universities $1,200 per International Student
Business Insider Africa · 3 hours ago · Read the Full Story on Business Insider Africa
AI SUMMARY
The UK government is moving forward with an International Student Levy requiring English universities to pay £925 annually per overseas student, despite concerns from higher education leaders over financial sustainability.
- The International Student Levy was first announced in the government's 2025 Budget and reaffirmed by Education Minister Josh MacAlister on October 19, 2026.
- English universities will pay £925 annually for each international student, with the first 220 overseas enrolments exempt from the charge.
- The levy covers both new and existing students, and the Office for Students will oversee its implementation using enrolment data.
- Official projections indicate the levy will generate £445 million in 2028–2029, £465 million in 2029–2030, and £480 million in 2030–2031.
- China received 86,368 sponsored study visas in the year ending June 2026, followed by India with 82,523 and Nigeria with 26,060.
- Students from India generated £5.3 billion in UK higher education export revenue in 2024, compared with £4.9 billion from China and £1.7 billion from Nigeria.
- Universities could pass on the costs through higher tuition fees, with Birmingham City University and the University of Bath already implementing or planning fee increases.
- Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, criticized the levy, calling it an unrealistic policy given current international recruitment trends.
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