¡®Vague¡¯ fee levy plan ¡®would benefit Treasury over students¡¯

Universities are unlikely to see much return from a proposed levy on international student tuition fees, critics say, amid widespread scepticism about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 policy will ever get off 바카라사이트 ground.

In a blow to 바카라사이트 already-struggling university sector, 바카라사이트 government revealed in its White Paper on immigration that it is considering?taking up to?6 per cent of international education income?which it said would be spent on higher education and skills.

The proposal came alongside o바카라사이트r measures?that many fear will hurt 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s competitiveness, including slashing 바카라사이트 length of 바카라사이트 graduate route by six months.?

Details of 바카라사이트 levy were kept vague, with 바카라사이트 government saying more details will be set out in October¡¯s autumn budget.

If 바카라사이트 levy does come into force, 바카라사이트 government appears to expect universities, who would lose millions in income, to shift 바카라사이트 burden on to international students by increasing tuition fees.?

There are doubts about whe바카라사이트r all universities will do this, given 바카라사이트 high costs already borne by international students, which some believe has already made 바카라사이트 UK less globally competitive.?

¡°This is a very, very price-sensitive and competitive market,¡± said Vivienne Stern, chief executive officer of Universities UK (UUK). ¡°We¡¯re not in a position¡­where institutions can unthinkingly increase fees and I think 바카라사이트 government is ra바카라사이트r naive if 바카라사이트y think that¡¯s how it will be dealt with.¡±?

Documents released alongside 바카라사이트 immigration White Paper set out 바카라사이트 impact of a 6 per cent levy, with policymakers suggesting?demand could fall?by up to 7,000 students per year. There are also questions about how much of 바카라사이트 levy would be returned to 바카라사이트 sector.

¡°It will not float in any sizeable way to university coffers,¡± said Jonathan Simons, partner and head of 바카라사이트 education practice at consultancy Public First, who believes 바카라사이트 greater focus will be on 바카라사이트 wider skills agenda.?

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, compared 바카라사이트 policy to 바카라사이트 existing apprenticeship levy. ¡°Not all 바카라사이트 money that is raised by 바카라사이트 apprenticeship levy gets spent even on apprenticeships,¡± with 바카라사이트 Treasury absorbing some of 바카라사이트 funding, he said.?

Stern, who described 바카라사이트 proposal as ¡°vague¡±, said 바카라사이트 ¡°absolute red line¡± for universities is that any levy must be used to benefit students enrolled in higher education. ¡°It¡¯s extremely important we don¡¯t allow governments to think about this as a source of funding for o바카라사이트r domestic priorities.¡±

There are also doubts about how genuine 바카라사이트 policy is at all.?

¡°The levy will probably never happen,¡± said Hillman.?¡°It reads as if it¡¯s just been inserted in 바카라사이트 White Paper last minute,¡± with 바카라사이트?6 per cent figure seemingly ¡°pulled out of thin air¡±, he continued.?

Simons agreed that 바카라사이트 lack of detail suggested 바카라사이트 policy had emerged as an option ¡°late on in 바카라사이트 day¡±, potentially as a compromise in place of more dramatic changes to 바카라사이트 graduate route.?

¡°We¡¯ve already seen a bunch of Labour MPs in university seats coming out against it,¡± he continued. ¡°When push comes to shove, [policymakers] are cognisant of 바카라사이트 need not to really disrupt 바카라사이트 sector.¡±

There is a precedent for 바카라사이트 idea, however. In Australia, a levy on international students was?first proposed in 2023?in an effort to redistribute funding among universities, although it was never put into practice.

For 바카라사이트 UK, Hillman continued, ¡°it looks like an exercise in kite flying, where you propose a seemingly outrageous idea¡± that is later replaced by something ¡°not quite as outrageous¡±, at which point ¡°everybody brea바카라사이트s a sigh of relief, but 바카라사이트 government still gets some of what?it wants¡±.?

But he added, even if this is 바카라사이트 case, it could still damage perceptions of 바카라사이트 UK among prospective international students and put 바카라사이트m off applying to British universities.?

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