A record number of foreign students applied to study at British universities last year in defiance of warnings Brexit would see a slump (file image
A record number of foreign students applied to study at British universities in defiance of warnings Brexit would see a slump.
More than 100,000 potential foreign students applied for places up to the end of January, including a surge from the European Union.
Applications from EU students coming from outside the UK rose by 3.6 per cent in 2018 after dropping in 2017. The group from Europe was 43,510.
The proportion of applications from English school leavers have also hit a new high of 37.4 per cent of student – 0.4 per cent better than the previous record.
Helen Thorne, director of external relations at UCAS, said: ‘The UK’s universities are highly popular with EU and international students because of the quality of the teaching and experience they offer.
‘There are probably several factors influencing the increasing numbers of applicants from the EU and beyond.
‘For example, the weaker pound makes the UK a cost effective place to study and the Government’s confirmation that EU students starting courses this autumn will be able to benefit from the existing financial support arrangements will have been beneficial.’
Overall there were 12,420 fewer UK applicants, a 2.6 per cent drop compared to last year.
The overall fall in all applications, from 564,190 to 559,030, was largely driven by a drop in the UK population of 18 and 19-year-olds.
The new figures come after Theresa May admitted the number of foreign students makes no impact on overall migration.
The new figures come after Theresa May admitted the number of foreign students makes no impact on overall migration
Mrs May (pictured at Downing Street today) has repeatedly warned that many foreign students fail to go home after their studies
The Prime Minister’s comments appear to mark a U-turn for her.
She was a staunch opponent of removing students from net immigration figures for years, putting her at odds with most of her Cabinet.
Mrs May has repeatedly warned that many foreign students fail to go home after their studies, and insisted removing them from immigration figures would undermine public confidence.
As home secretary, she led a crackdown on bogus colleges.
However, speaking on her visit to China, she said the tough measures she introduced meant students no longer had an impact on long-term immigration. Mrs May said she was reluctant to remove them from the figures while they were included in a UN definition of migrants that counts all those who move to a nation for more than 12 months.
But in a significant shift in tone, she suggested there was no other reason to continue including them because former abuses had been dealt with.