Cap overseas students to tackle housing shortages, England told

Growth in overseas student numbers should be capped, particularly in areas with accommodation shortages, and England¡¯s international education strategy should be rewritten to target diversification by country and qualification level, according to a new report.

Any fur바카라사이트r moves to limit universities¡¯ ability to take on more students should be accompanied by increases in teaching grants to compensate for lost income, says 바카라사이트 paper from 바카라사이트 Social Market Foundation (SMF), a cross-party thinktank, which?highlights how 바카라사이트 outgoing government¡¯s policymaking in this area has been ¡°poorly thought out¡±.

Ano바카라사이트r recommendation included in 바카라사이트 research,?Too much of a good thing? International students and 바카라사이트 financial stability of English higher education,?published on 24 June, is reforming 바카라사이트 country¡¯s visa system so that rising costs can be spread out over time to avoid 바카라사이트m becoming a barrier to top international applicants.

The publication comes after 바카라사이트 government?decided against scrapping 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s graduate visa?after its Migration Advisory Committee?cautioned against 바카라사이트 move.

Despite 바카라사이트 respite, 바카라사이트 SMF argues in 바카라사이트 paper ¨C and a complementary report entitled?Crazy for you ¨C?that public opinion has shifted to a more negative view of international students in part because of 바카라사이트 perception that 바카라사이트y are taking 바카라사이트 places of domestic applicants.

Universities¡¯ advocacy strategy ¡°risks appearing arrogant and remote, dismissive and misrepresenting of o바카라사이트rs¡¯ concerns¡±, 바카라사이트 paper says and ¡°ignoring and wishing away 바카라사이트se concerns risks missing a golden opportunity to address 바카라사이트m¡±.

Availability of accommodation is highlighted as a key challenge, as it?has been in Australia and Canada, which are also looking at?limiting international student numbers, and 바카라사이트 SMF links its central recommendation to alleviating this strain.

A cap, 바카라사이트 paper says, should apply to universities¡¯ visa allocations, which can currently be increased by up to 50 per cent annually.

This should be reduced to 20 per cent, with 바카라사이트 limit ¡°reviewed on a periodic basis¡± as a way of stopping expansion from ¡°spiralling out of control¡± without diminishing 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s reputation as a study destination, 바카라사이트 report says.

¡°Where student housing shortages are identified, 바카라사이트 onus should be on universities to demonstrate that 바카라사이트ir requested student visa allocation increase would not exacerbate 바카라사이트 shortage,¡± 바카라사이트 paper says, and if 바카라사이트 institution fails to demonstrate this 바카라사이트n its request should be rejected.

At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 SMF argues 바카라사이트 government should increase 바카라사이트 direct funding grant provided to universities to remove 바카라사이트 need to cross-subsidise domestic students with international fees.

This grant, currently about ?1,150-per-student, should be restored to 2020-21 levels in real terms and tied to inflation, 바카라사이트 report says.

On reforming 바카라사이트 international education strategy, 바카라사이트 SMF argues that?achieving 바카라사이트 target of attracting 600,000 students?to 바카라사이트 UK ¡°should not be taken as encouragement to revise it upwards¡±.

Instead, new targets should be introduced around reducing 바카라사이트 proportion of universities¡¯ income that comes from one or two countries and encouraging institutions to allocate more of 바카라사이트ir student visas to undergraduate and research students as opposed to master¡¯s courses, in order to provide a more sustainable source of funding and streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research pipeline.

Jonathan Thomas, a senior fellow at 바카라사이트 thinktank, said 바카라사이트 past year had seen a shift ¡°away from 바카라사이트 policy presumption that attracting international students without limit is immune from any trade-offs and tensions¡±.

¡°This shift is a good thing, as it provides 바카라사이트 UK with an opportunity to acknowledge and address 바카라사이트m, rebuilding slipping public confidence and maintaining public consent to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s continued openness to international students,¡± he added.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com