The University of York has emerged this month as something of a leader in international student admissions trends in British higher education. The university has reported a 16% drop in international student numbers in 2023, amid an apparent slowdown in demand from key sending markets outside the EU and growing concerns about UK institutions' dependence on international tuition fee income. .
This year's financial statements state that “failure to increase or maintain international recruitment or diversify” is a significant risk, and that “increasing international numbers is a key strategic priority to ensure the university's financial sustainability.” “We will continue to be.”
International tuition income is more important than ever this year as UK institutions grapple with a continued freeze on domestic tuition fees and significant inflationary pressures on operating and program delivery costs.
Meanwhile, York University reports that its full-time international student enrollment has fallen from 6,145 in 2021/22 to 5,185 in 2022/23 (-15.6%). Income from international tuition fees also fell over the same period, from £102m to his £97m (-5%).
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data shows York University is heavily reliant on China for non-EU admissions, with Chinese students accounting for 56% of the university's international students in the 2021/22 academic year. ing.
The same is true across the sector, in that HESA shows that China will be the main sender to UK higher education until 2021/22. However, the Chinese market has been extremely slow to recover after the pandemic, and there were signs that demand was slowing even two years ago.
talk to times higher educationInternational Education Association Australia (IEAA) chief executive Phil Honeywood said while the 'stay close to home' admissions trend was helping UK admissions, regional schools such as Hong Kong and Singapore He said it is contributing to the increase in the number of Chinese people in the destination. .
He also cited the impact of record-high youth unemployment in China on student decision-making, along with the delayed impact of Australia's border reopening post-pandemic. “British universities have lost a huge number of enrollments from China and India simply because Australia's borders have been closed for two years,” he said. “Affordability, employability and proximity have all been factors in Australia’s favor over the past two years.”
Meanwhile, the latest Enroly data for January 2024 admissions shows that CAS issuance (Study Acceptance Confirmation) is down -36% and deposits are down -37% compared to January 2023 admissions. got it. These are notable year-over-year declines, but not as severe as the outlook in previous Enroly reports.
The annual report reinforces York University's commitment to expanding and diversifying the university's international enrollment. However, additional challenges that should be factored into these plans are in the form of changes to government policy, including the current review of labor rights following the study, and more recently the negative impact of the widely criticized study 'cash for courses'. It takes place in the form of waves of news coverage. ” Report inside Sunday Times It was a mix of an International Foundation program and a full degree.
The sector responded quickly to the report. ”Sunday Times Vivian Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, said: “This article fails to distinguish between the entry requirements for the International Foundation Year and a full degree. The International Foundation Year is designed to enable students to apply to full degree programmes. “It has been done,” he said. Admission is not guaranteed. These are designed for students from different educational systems and in many cases a student may have completed her 12 years of education rather than her 13 years. It is important to understand that the admission routes for international students reflect the diverse national and educational backgrounds of these students. Some people may need a bridge course to progress to a UK degree. ”
Despite these important corrections and clarifications, we may realize that such coverage partly reflects changes in political and public opinion regarding immigration and student mobility. yeah. Similar changes will be seen in other major job openings this year and will inevitably be factored into the strategies of all educational institutions and recruiters.
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