Today: 1 August 2025
9 August 2024
2 mins read

Sharp fall in international applicants at UK universities

Between January and the end of July, the Home Office said that overall student applications were down by 16% compared with the same period in 2023…reports Asian Lite News

The financial pressures facing universities continue to mount after the latest immigration figures showed a sharp fall in the number of international applicants wanting to study in the UK.

The Home Office’s initial figures for July found that about 15% fewer sponsored student visa applications were received last month, continuing the downward trend seen since the start of the year and following the previous government’s efforts to restrict the number of visas issued.

Between January and the end of July, the Home Office said that overall student applications were down by 16% compared with the same period in 2023.

After universities received bumper enrolments from international students in 2022 and 2023, admissions are likely to remain higher than before the Covid pandemic. But the surge in inflation in recent years has eroded the sector’s revenue from UK students, making it more reliant on the higher tuition fees received from overseas students and more vulnerable to fluctuations.

Since January, new regulations have barred most undergraduate and taught postgraduate students from bringing dependent family members to the UK with them. The latest Home Office figures confirm a steep drop, with 13,100 applications from dependents of students between January and July 2024 – 81% fewer than in January to July 2023.

August is the highest month for visa applications, and the Home Office has cautioned that it “will be necessary to see this peak in student applications in the autumn before we can assess the full extent of any changes this year”.

But an earlier poll of 75 institutions by the British Universities’ International Liaison Association found that nine out of 10 had received fewer international applications for this autumn compared with 2023.

New data published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency revealed that the proportion of first-class degrees awarded to undergraduates continued to fall last year, as universities in England responded to ministerial allegations of grade inflation.

The 2022-23 figures showed that 29% of undergraduate degrees were graded as first-class honours, down from 32% in 2021-22 and 36% in 2020-21, and only slightly higher than the 28% awarded in 2018-19 before the Covid pandemic brought more generous marking for affected students.

Meanwhile, the proportion of lower second-class degrees, or 2:2s, rose to 20%, after falling to a low of 15% in 2020-21.

ALSO READ-UK govt to curb overseas hiring for tech, engineering jobs

Previous Story

UK govt to curb overseas hiring for tech, engineering jobs

Next Story

Second cop investigated over Manchester Airport incident

Latest from -Top News

IBPC Dubai charts new growth path

Former Tata Motors CEO Ravi Kant headlines exclusive event as Indian business council sets course for transformation….reports Asian Lite News The Indian Business & Professional Council (IBPC) Dubai has signalled a significant

Miles in the Malls!

Dubai Mallathon kicks off today – The emirate’s biggest malls transform into indoor fitness arenas, inviting residents to walk, run, and win — all while staying cool, healthy, and community-connected….reports Asian Lite

Famine grips Gaza, WHO warns

WHO said Gaza’s population is facing acute food insecurity under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification…reports Asian Lite News The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued its starkest warning yet about the

Lifeline from UAE to Gaza

UAE’s Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 sustains Gaza’s collapsing health system with hospitals, treatment, aid, and vaccines, offering vital relief to thousands amid deepening crisis….reports Asian Lite News The United Arab Emirates has

Modi, MBZ talk big ties

The call reaffirmed their keenness to “strengthen relations in line with their shared vision to leverage opportunities and deepen strategic cooperation.”…reports Asian Lite News In a significant diplomatic engagement, Prime Minister Narendra
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Afghan pilot faces homelessness in UK despite asylum approval

Until he finds accommodation, he will be unable to repatriate

UAE Minister Explores Financial Ties With UK Trade Envoy

Both parties highlighted the rooted diplomatic relations between the UAE