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Three-quarters of UK business schools have reported a fall in international student enrollments, with concerns growing across the industry about falling overseas demand and the resulting financial losses.
A report released by the Chartered Association of Business Schools pointed out that the British government’s immigration policy is a core factor.
According to a survey of its members by the organization, non-EU international student enrollments for January 2024 enrollments have fallen at three-quarters of institutions surveyed compared with 12 months ago.
Of those recruiting from the EU, 41% of business schools reported lower enrollment rates.
“Business school deans are concerned that the UK is now seen as a hostile environment for international students, with nine in 10 respondents agreeing that recent government policy announcements have adversely affected their schools’ ability to recruit international students,” Chartered ABS express. “The ban on dependents, delays in visa processing and the impending review of postgraduate routes were widely mentioned.”
The decline was mainly concentrated at the postgraduate level, with 60% of schools surveyed saying that non-EU international student enrollments were “significantly lower” than last year. Another 17% said it was slightly lower.
Sixty-one percent of business schools surveyed said their January international graduate enrollment targets were well below target, with a further 17% slightly below target. 71% of respondents were moderately or significantly below EU postgraduate recruitment targets.
The results may be of concern to universities, as business schools are often an important source of revenue for their alma maters. A Chartered ABS survey released last November found that on average 59% of a business school’s net income goes to its alma mater. However, 92% of deans said their schools “rely to some extent on international student tuition to ensure financial viability.”
Robert McIntosh, chairman of the Chartered ABS and vice-chancellor of Northumbria University Business School, said: “These latest results show that the government’s immigration policy has the potential to seriously damage one of the UK’s most successful exports.
“Falling student enrollments at international business schools will limit an important source of revenue for universities, which underpins teaching and research costs in subject areas well beyond business and management.”
“While we support a sound and fair student visa system, regressive policies for international students put the University’s financial sustainability at risk at a time when universities are coping with rising student costs in the UK and falling real-term fees. Not only our international reputation and overseas Soft power is at stake, as are the jobs and local economies that thrive around our great universities.”
john.morgan@timeshighereducation.com
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