U.K. Universities Face Bankruptcy As international Student Numbers From Nigeria, India Decline — Report

There are about 15 universities currently considering cutting jobs, and courses this academic year in the U.K., Nairametrics is reporting.

According to The Times, many more have announced cost-saving plans that could lead to redundancies or courses being scrapped to save tens of millions. This may not be unconnected to the UK government’s recent introduction of higher education reforms that will crack down on “rip-off” degrees and ensure student visas are used for education rather than immigration.

Also, overseas students who are not taking research degrees are now barred from bringing their families. In addition, James Cleverly, the home secretary, suggested scrapping visas that allow students to work in Britain for two or three years after graduation.

Currently, students face fewer teaching staff, lower quality, and fewer options as universities struggle to slash costs in response to a reduction in the number of wealthy international students. University leaders have therefore warned of “really difficult” cuts, such as discontinuing entire courses and laying off academic staff, as a loss of one-third of international students threatens to put several institutions into the red.

Nairametrics reports that Nigeria’s economic crises have led to a collapse in applications while Indian students are also being deterred as the the government cracks down on visas. Universities say bankruptcies are a “realistic possibility” with one in ten already cutting staff this year.

Tuition rates have effectively been unchanged for more than a decade, and with most colleges now losing money on domestic students, they have offset their losses with international students who pay significantly more. Over the last four years, numbers have increased by 60%, reaching 560,000.