Rishi Sunak has increased the headache of British universities, they have to make this request to the government

UK Visa Rules for International Students: Britain has been a favorite destination for studies among students from all over the world. But the situation has changed in the last few years. Foreign students have become disillusioned with Britain. The reason for this is the change in visa rules for international students, which was changed during the government of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Due to the decline in the admission of international students, British universities are facing financial crisis these days. The situation is such that now they are requesting the government to give them funding.

Sally Mapstone, president of Universities UK (UUK), an organisation representing 141 higher education institutes in Britain, said all universities were suffering financially because of the visa changes implemented last year. She said, “We have only two options – either we allow our prestigious, globally competitive higher education system to collapse, or we unite and find a solution to this problem.”

How much do British universities earn from international students?

According to a research paper by the House of Commons, the total revenue of the British higher education sector in 2022-23 was just over £50 billion (Rs five lakh crore), most of which came from tuition fees and grants. International students generally pay higher fees than British students and are an important source of income for many institutions.

Changes in visa rules reduced the number of admissions

But the Conservative government led by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak imposed several restrictions on foreign student visas to control immigration, including a ban on bringing their families along. According to government data, applications for admission from abroad in the first four months of 2024 fell by 30,000 compared to the same period in 2023.

Universities are at risk of being closed

British universities have been expressing concern for months about the impact of these changes on their finances. They fear that if the financial situation does not change, courses may have to be reduced and some universities may even close. At a UUK conference held in Reading, west of London, Mapstone said the sector currently faces a deficit of 1.7 billion pounds for teaching and 5 billion pounds for research. he/she urged the government to “invest and support” to maintain world-class teaching and research.

The tuition fees paid by British students were raised from £9,000 to £9,250 a year in 2017, but have been kept stable since then despite inflation. Shitij Kapur, the head of King’s College London, said fees should now be between £12,000 and £13,000.