The United Kingdom's higher education sector is facing significant changes, with recent alterations in visa regulations and funding impacting the flow of international students. Since August 2021, European Union (EU) students have been required to pay international fees and are no longer eligible for tuition fee loans, a shift that has caused a noticeable decline in their numbers. Meanwhile, universities like Coventry are striving to maintain their inclusivity and global reach amidst these challenges.
The cost of education in the UK remains high for international students, with most courses costing between £16,800 and £20,050 annually. Despite these hefty fees, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) reported a 2.7% increase in international undergraduate applications between 2024 and 2025. However, this rise comes against a backdrop of a significant decrease in EU student enrollments following changes in visa requirements and funding rules during the 2021-22 academic year.
In 2023, the number of international visas issued fell from 600,024 to 415,103 in 2024, representing an almost one-third reduction. This decrease is even more pronounced in the case of sponsored study visas for dependants, which dropped by 85%, from 143,276 to just 21,978 in the same period.
The UK government continues to emphasize the economic contributions of international students. Coventry University has been particularly vocal about its commitment to global education, noting that international students contribute approximately £651 million annually to the city's economy. This financial influx is crucial for Coventry, which had the second-highest percentage of international students in England outside London during the 2022-23 academic year.
"It would be odd to constrain our mission and values within national borders." – Coventry University
Coventry University also highlighted its strategy of diversifying income sources as a means of countering stagnant UK tuition fees.
"Our long-term strategy of diversifying income to help counter the fact UK tuition fees have been frozen for several years has been successful and remains the right thing to do." – Coventry University
Despite these efforts, the decline in overseas students has led to several purpose-built student accommodation blocks being converted for residential use. This reflects a broader trend affecting local economies and businesses reliant on student spending.
Vivienne Stern, CEO of Universities UK, underscored the broader economic impact of international students.
"There are people in all sorts of walks of life who benefit from the fact that universities bring students in who spend money in shops and cafes – local businesses, getting their hair cut, taking taxis." – Vivienne Stern
"It really contributes to economies right across the UK, and I think that's really special." – Vivienne Stern
However, challenges remain. The Turing Scheme, which replaced Erasmus+, supports UK participants studying or working abroad but provides no funding for international students coming to the UK. This has created uncertainty around the UK's post-study work offer, according to Universities UK.
"The one thing stopping more students coming here is recent changes in the visa." – Mohammed Abdullah Sayyed
Jingwen Yuan, an international student, noted a trend among peers returning home after completing their studies.
"All of my bachelor degrees classmates from home have gone back to China." – Jingwen Yuan
