According to the head of Universities and College Admission Services (UCAS), the UK should make internationals feel welcome. If students feel left out in the country, they might head to another country.
UCAS Chief Executive Clare Marchant highlighted that there is a rise in the number of international students at UK universities. However, the university and country should ensure that students feel welcomed, keeping in mind the competing countries. She came up with these comments, hosted by the Higher Education Policy Institute think tank. Here she also remarked that Australia, Canada, and the United States are competitors of the UK in attracting international students.
In the academic year 2021–22, the number of international students in the UK hit 679,970. By the end of 2022, the UK will be the top nation to grant the highest number of sponsored study visas to students, with the number reaching 460,000.
Last year, during the academic session 2021–22, 619,371 international students were enrolled in Australia, whereas 807,260 international students were in Canada. Moreover, in the US, there were over 900,000 international students. This signifies that the UK is losing its chances of becoming the top and most-liked destination to study abroad.
According to a study conducted by The Guardian, UK universities earned £1 for every $5 from international students last year. Several institutions relied on international students for at least one-third of their total revenue.
As per the reports from The Telegraph, ten universities in the Russell Group offer 24 research-intensive UK universities that favour international students more than domestic students. Two such institutions include Durham University and Liverpool University.
UK universities are currently under pressure to offer admissions to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, which shows that students from rich families will be given second priority.
