Huge drop in abroad college students at Scottish universities

The variety of abroad college students at Scottish universities dropped by greater than 10,000 final yr, new figures present.

The decline comes after overseas scholar numbers reached an all-time excessive within the earlier yr, making their tuition charges an necessary supply of funding for universities.

The most recent figures from HESA (Larger Schooling Statistics Company) present there have been 73,915 college students from exterior the UK, down 12% from 83,975 the yr earlier than.

The statistics additionally present there have been 173,795 college students from Scotland at Scottish universities.

The variety of European Union college students in Scotland fell by half as Britain left the EU in 2019 and it has continued to fall within the present figures, down to only 10,430.

In the meantime, the share of overseas college students had been rising from one in 20 within the Nineteen Nineties to a couple of in 4 lately.

The biggest variety of abroad college students in Scotland is from China.

It fell from 19,000 in 2022/23 to 17,565 final yr.

College students from India fell from 12,235 to 9,950 and Nigerian college students dropped from 9,415 to five,985.

The variety of college students from Pakistan elevated from 5,075 to five,540

Dundee College, which not too long ago introduced a £35m black gap in its funds, noticed a 27% drop in worldwide college students – down from 4,570 to three,335.

The College of Glasgow noticed a 15% drop in abroad college students, down from 15,200 to 12,935.

The largest drop was Robert Gordon College in Aberdeen the place the variety of abroad college students virtually halved, right down to 2,365.

Nevertheless, the College of Edinburgh, which has additionally introduced monetary shortfalls, managed to extend its variety of abroad college students final yr from 16,625 to 17,020.

Scottish college students get “free tuition” at Scottish universities which suggests undergraduates do not need to pay charges for his or her programs if they’ll safe one of many restricted variety of locations.

Nevertheless, universities have lengthy claimed that the cash it receives from the Scottish authorities has not stored tempo with inflation and is much less per scholar than comparable establishments in England get from tuition charges.

Scottish universities, like most within the UK, have been on a recruitment drive to attract in college students from different elements of the world, charging them a lot larger charges than UK college students – from about £10,000 as much as £40,000 per yr.

For these with a prestigious repute, together with Scotland’s older universities, the share of overseas college students has risen to shut to 40%.

This has introduced controversy – in regards to the high quality of studying, requirements of English language means, and the surge in demand for scholar lodging.

It has additionally introduced vulnerability if the demand for locations falls away.

A rising concern about universities, together with Glasgow and Edinburgh, turning into too depending on Chinese language college students noticed recruitment shift to different international locations.

Nigeria was one new goal, inspired by the UK authorities.

However the market there depends upon the power of the Nigerian foreign money, which fell sharply and minimize off the quantity of people that may afford to come back to the UK.

Different components, reminiscent of tighter visa restrictions and stronger competitors from different international locations, have led to additional falls.

Earlier this week, a senior Dundee College determine advised MSPs that insolvency was a “actual risk” because the establishment makes an attempt to deal with a £35m funding black gap.

Appearing chair of court docket Tricia Bey mentioned with out forthcoming monetary help from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) the college will run out of cash by the top of June.

Final week, the college introduced that 632 jobs could be minimize, about one-fifth of the workforce.

It mentioned that components together with a “extreme drop” in worldwide scholar recruitment and a rise in Nationwide Insurance coverage contributions had been responsible for the deficit.

Nevertheless, it added that inner components together with “insufficient monetary self-discipline and management” and “poor capital planning and funding choices” had additionally contributed to the state of affairs.

The College and School Union (UCU) Scotland mentioned employees had been being made to pay the value for “egregious administration failure”.

Edinburgh College additionally plans £140m of cuts to deal with extreme monetary difficulties.

The college’s principal and vice-chancellor, Prof Sir Peter Mathieson, mentioned in a message to employees that “radical motion” could be wanted to make sure a “sustainable discount” in prices to assist the establishment address falling earnings and better payments.

The drop in earnings was partly blamed on a decrease variety of worldwide college students coming to the UK.

The Scottish authorities mentioned worldwide scholar numbers had seen a decline following modifications by the UK authorities to the immigration system, reminiscent of ending the inclusion of relations on scholar visas.