Yorkshire universities warn student visa cuts will increase debt

Yorkshire universities have warned that planned cuts to the number of international students coming to the UK could push more institutions into debt.

BBC News analysis found that the region’s 10 major universities made a combined financial loss of almost £160m over the past three years.

Both the Conservatives and Labor have promised to reduce overall levels of net immigration to Britain if they win next month’s general election.

Professor Karen Bryan, chairman of the Yorkshire Universities regional partnership, said a 20% drop in overseas students across the country would leave more universities in deficit.

According to the BBC’s analysis of published financial accounts, four of Yorkshire’s 10 major universities made losses in 2022/23, forcing some to cut staff and the number of courses on offer.

They were York St John University, Leeds Beckett University, Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Huddersfield.

Prof Bryan said: “Measures already taken by the government to restrict dependents and increase visa costs have resulted in fewer applications from overseas students. Our March cohort is down about 11%.

She added: “Yorkshire is the second most attractive place in the UK after London for international students, so potentially there is greater success for universities in this region.

“We want to contribute to local and national economic prosperity and if the government, any government, wants us to do that, it’s going to have to start addressing some of the funding gaps that exist in the sector.”

Figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show that 50,000 international students were studying in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in 2022/23, up from 32,000 in 2014/15.

Fees for British students have been frozen at £9,000 a year since 2012, but some international students can pay more than £30,000 a year for tuition.

Sheffield Hallam University has lost more than £60m over the past seven years and in May announced that up to 400 jobs could be lost in the latest round of austerity.

Dan Grace, a librarian who works at Sheffield Hallam, said: “Everyone is worried about their work at the moment, I don’t think anyone feels they are safe.

“In the library we’ve seen our budgets cut, which means we can’t provide resources for students that are essential for them to be able to complete their studies.”

A university spokesman said: “Government actions to reduce international student recruitment, despite the many economic and cultural benefits they bring, make the financial picture much worse.

“Our projections for 2024/25 show that international student numbers are likely to fall significantly from previous years – which would see our income fall by almost £20m.”

In May, the Conservative government banned foreign postgraduate students on non-research courses from being able to bring family members with them to the UK, in a move Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said would reduce the number of migrants arriving in the country.

Taha Khan is an international student who came to study in Huddersfield in 2020 from Pakistan. He is now the president of the university’s student union.

“Foreign students are attracted to Britain because of the history of the universities and their prestige,” he said.

“It is also a place where we are free to learn and free to speak.”

Currently, the UK graduate visa allows overseas students to spend two years working in the UK after completing their course.

Mr Khan added: “Many international students are constantly stressed about potential visa changes and the possibility that we may not be able to pursue a career in this country. I have invested my money and time and I want to give something back to the UK for making me the person I am today.”

Next, Labor said it would “act to create a secure future for higher education”, while reducing the overall level of net migration.

In their manifesto, the Tories said they would end the ability of all international students entering the UK to bring dependents, while Reform UK said “only international students with essential skills would be able to stay in the UK at the completion of their studies”.

The Liberal Democrats will “overhaul” higher education funding and reintroduce maintenance grants for disadvantaged students – while the Green Party has promised to allow international students to bring family members with them to the UK and promised to scrap tuition fees.