Plans are being discussed to lower migration rates, including restrictions on student visas. What impact could this have on students?

According to the BBC, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is considering curbs on international students taking “low quality” degrees and bringing dependents.

Supposedly, this is in efforts to crack down on soaring migration rates, which hit 504,000 in the year to June, the highest figure ever recorded by The Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Naturally, this has raised many eyebrows, particularly upon the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman’s comments on the matter, citing it as “bringing in family members who can piggyback onto their student visa” and “propping up, frankly, substandard courses in inadequate institutions“.

There’s been a significant backlash on the matter, and rightfully so. Let’s dive into what such restrictions could mean for students, universities and the UK economy.

Firstly, what are “low quality” degrees?

At the time of writing, Rishi Sunak, or anyone else in parliament, has not defined what a low-quality degree actually is. We do not know what these subjects are or how this is defined.

In fact, a No.10 spokesperson declined to say what constitutes a “low quality” degree when pressed to provide a government definition last Friday.

So until then, this phrase remains ambiguous. However, Sunak’s previous statements on a student’s earning potential through the degrees they study have caused uproar in the past, so we can only imagine subjects that aren’t Russel Group-worthy could be at risk.

The Home Secretary’s comment on dependents

Currently, international students aren’t allowed to bring a dependent with them while studying. However, if the student enrols on a master’s or PhD, they are allowed to bring a dependent with them. This is what the Home Secretary was eluding to with their comment before.

However, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt was insistent that immigration is required to boost the economy, citing there has to be “a long-term plan if we’re going to bring down migration in a way that doesn’t harm the economy”.

How many dependents are coming over to the UK?

Migration levels are the highest they’ve ever been. And as we’re seeing, the PM wants to crack down on this by restricting student visas for low-quality degrees, and thus the dependents they can bring to the UK.

According to The Pie News, there’s been a significant increase in the number of incoming international students to the UK who are bringing dependants. 

In September 2021, the intake saw 6.41% of international students bring a dependent, compared to September 2022 when 10.97% had done so. This may be attested to the rules surrounding dependants that can come with the students studying at the postgraduate level, but this hasn’t been fully confirmed.

What the cap on international student intake could mean

The cap on international students being able to study and bring a dependant ultimately will mean fewer students studying specific courses. As a result, the following consequences can be drawn:

Universities will struggle with funding

According to Universities UK, any policy change on International students studying in the UK would be detrimental to the economy.

Research from the Higher Education Policy Institute and Universities UK, shows international students make a net positive contribution of more than £25.9 billion to the UK’s economy, with every part of the UK financially better off, on average by £390 per person. This is purely down to the intake of international students.

Plus, the majority of UK universities evidently rely on the tuition paid by international students. This breakdown shows the tuition fees paid by international students to UK universities:

• 2016/17: £6.63bn – 37.3%
• 2017/18: £7.37bn – 38.7%
• 2018/19: £8.28bn – 40.8%
• 2019/20: £9.41bn – 42.9%
• 2020/21: £9.95bn – 42.4%

As you can see, the figures in recent years are made up of almost half of international student tuition fees. How will UK universities cope when fewer students are able to enrol on their desired area of study, as a result of these restrictions?

Potential staff and teaching cuts

Leading on from our last point, with a lack of students on courses, this could mean teaching positions, and courses as a whole, becoming redundant. 

This in turn will increase unemployment rates in universities, which with the UK recession, will also affect students.

Fewer opportunities for all students

Fewer subjects funded means less subjects for UK students to study too. Is this all in an effort for Rishi Sunak to phase out university degrees that do not improve “earning potential”?

Plus, The Northern Powerhouse Partnership has raised concerns the move could bankrupt universities in deprived areas, like Hull, where attracting “international revenue and talent” is vital to their survival. How will this pan out for other areas of the country?

This is ultimately the bottom line. Again, we have no idea what low-quality degrees mean. Regardless of this definition, the cap means fewer opportunities and fiercer competition than ever before.

We hope this plan doesn’t go ahead, as it would be a clear detriment to the UK economy, universities, and opportunities for students. What are your thoughts on the subject? Comment on our Instagram post with your views.