Universities fear funding shortfall if overseas students stay away
British universities fear a huge funding shortfall due to foreign students cancelling their overseas study plans this year.
Nearly 14,000 fewer students from East Asia could enrol at UK campuses this academic year compared to 2018-19 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a report from the British Council has estimated, leaving universities with a funding gap of around £463 million.
Prospective students are also more likely to favour postponing the start of the academic year to January for more face-to-face teaching rather than start courses online in the autumn, the research suggests.
It comes as concerns over foreign students staying away has prompted institutions including the University of Wolverhampton to start to some courses later than usual.
The survey, of more than 15,000 students across eight key markets in East Asia, found 29 per cent of students are likely to delay or cancel their overseas study plans this year - and a further 35 per cent are undecided.
University leaders from across the West Midlands have unveiled a series of proposals for easing out of lockdown – which included using a “blended” learning approach, with a mix of online and face-to-face classes, in the autumn.
Students arriving at university could be made to live in a “bubble” with people on the same courses to limit social mixing, while traditional freshers’ weeks and large-scale lectures are likely to be off the cards.
Tim Steele, pro-vice chancellor (international), at the University of Wolverhampton said they had seen record numbers of international applicants for 2020 starts.
He said undergraduate (UG) courses were due to start on September 21 using the "blended" model, with small group seminars delivered face-to-face, while post-graduate (PG) students would be starting later than usual on October 26.
This would enable the university to stagger the volumes of new students arriving on campus, he said.
Mr Steele added: "As an institution we are working closely with key government departments to ensure that we can provide students with the most up to date information as and when it arrives. We do expect some international students to be nervous about arriving in semester one and we are therefore offering a wide range of UG and PG courses starting January 2021 and for those wanting to hold for longer a PG May 2021 start, so we are confident we can accommodate and support students and their families as and when they feel it is the right time to come and join us."
The university's vice chancellor, Geoff Layer, has said he expects a decline in international students due to them not being able to get to the UK due to possible travel restrictions.
Of the Chinese students surveyed, nearly two in five are still on the fence about what to do this autumn, while 23 per cent have said they are likely to cancel or delay their plans to study abroad.
In 2018-19, more than half of new non-EU international students at UK higher education institutions came from the eight territories in East Asia surveyed. But the report estimates that the number of students from East Asia choosing to study in the UK could drop by 12 per cent this year compared to 2018-19 – leading to a fall of at least £463m in funding.
Opportunity
The survey also suggests that prospective postgraduate students overwhelmingly favour a face-to-face start in January (63 per cent) over an autumn start online (15 per cent).
The British Council’s Matt Durninl, said: “There is a window of opportunity over the next two months to create a greater sense of certainty about the upcoming academic year.”
A survey from the University and College Union (UCU) found that most prospective students would delay starting university in the autumn if they were able to secure more face-to-face classes.
Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, said: “This latest report is more evidence of the serious financial hardship that universities will suffer if the government does not step in.
“The current wait and see approach from ministers is exacerbating the crisis for prospective students and putting tens of thousands of jobs at universities and in the wider economy at risk.”
Julia Buckingham, president of Universities UK and vice-chancellor of Brunel University, said: “We have a short window to convince undecided applicants that they can plan with confidence to study in the UK this autumn. This needs action by Government as well as universities.”
UUK is calling on Government to make sure the visa system allows for students to start courses online to allow for the blended approach to teaching being planned by universities this autumn.
“This is important for students who might be reserving final judgments about whether to come to the UK or not in the autumn,” Professor Buckingham said.
The British Council surveyed 15,536 students with overseas study plans across Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam between April 24 and May 15.
