British Universities are now less attractive to overseas students - Survey

Era of uncertainty hits colleges and universities in the United Kingdom due to Brexit, as a survey reveals that a 3^rd of foreign students make known how uninterested studying in the UK is currently. This is because, they feel they are being welcomed any more.

The survey which was conducted  by Hobsons, a firm which specialises in recruiting students reveals that 30% indicated they may not come to the UK, while only 6% out rightly said they will never make the UK an option because  of the decision of the UK to leave the EU.

Out of the 1,014 respondeds, 32% said they would rather go to Canada, 21% indicated interest in Germany, while 20 said they may either go to the USA or Australia for their university.

The result of the survey showed that 83% were non EU, and when they were asked on the way forward, most of them said, the UK will need to reassure them if they must come to the country to school. A responded said: “If UK universities could consider the volatility of the exchange rate for international students when determining the cost of attendance, adding extra funds as a kind of safety net, or introducing a programme that allows for an increase at a later disbursement - or some similar idea - that would put my mind at ease.”

Similarly, another responded state that: “Assure students the fact they no longer belong to the EU doesn’t mean progress will not continue. Try to make admission easy for students coming in and assuring them their stay throughout would be non-stressful.”

In the 2014/2015 academic session, foreign students from non EU countries contributed about 26% revenue generated by English institutions. Thurs, a 2% increase was expected by 2017/2018 to about £4.6 billion.

However, the weakness of the pound may attract some students to the UK as degree will become less expensive to them.

According to Jeremy Cooper, managing director of Hobsons, universities in the UK are facing “a period of uncertainty” post-Brexit, adding: “However, international students still represent a significant strategic opportunity for UK universities.

“Market conditions for international student recruitment look set to toughen, and universities need to send a clear message that the UK welcomes international students, as well as providing practical guidance and support.”

William Bain in his comment said: “With 125,000 non-UK EU nationals studying here, and 43,000 non-UK EU nationals working in higher education institutions, the issue of being able to attract and retain talent to work and study in universities is absolutely paramount.

“The future direction and scale of involvement in policies on the free movement of workers and other EU nationals, like students, will have a real impact on funding, strategic positioning, economic performance, and the global reputation of UK higher education in the coming years. More restrictive UK immigration policy towards international students, co-operation on research and development projects, and whether the UK could continue to be involved in areas such as Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020, are all key areas which need to be addressed.”

This survey came at a time about 100 EU students have allegedly cancelled their spaces at Aberystwyth University in Wales among concerns of the effect of Brexit. Though the acting vice-chancellor of the institution said to BBC News that about half of those pulled out the day after the Brexit vote, a university spokesperson told the Independent it was too early to come to any final conclusions on what the potential impact of Brexit will be.

The representative added: “We are pleased we have been able to reassure prospective EU students in our communications with them that we are looking forward to welcoming them.”

Also speaking, Dame Julia Goodfellow, president of Universities UK and vice-chancellor of the University of Kent, said: “It is important we get long-term guarantees that the UK will continue to benefit from opportunities to collaborate with partners on ground-breaking research. We are determined the UK university sector will remain a welcoming destination, open and internationally engaged, and a high-quality partner of choice.”