In the midst of a dispute over foreign admissions, the chairman of Ucas has suggested that more students from Vietnam, Nigeria, and Ghana should be recruited by universities.
In order to “promote take-up” in those nations during the next five years, Clare Marchant said that she is collaborating with vice-chancellors.
Her remarks come amid allegations that certain colleges are attempting to increase their revenue by choosing to enrol high-paying overseas students instead of those from the UK.
While domestic students’ tuition is limited at £9,250, overseas students now pay an average of roughly three times that much ($24,000).
At the weekend, it was reported that the percentage of UK candidates being turned down has increased while the number of foreign students has skyrocketed at prestigious colleges.
Mrs. Marchant said yesterday that the total increase in applications from overseas students this year was 3%, which she described as “a healthy picture.”
There were still only “small numbers” from “Nigeria, Ghana, and Vietnam,” she claimed, despite the fact that a significant fraction were Chinese.
In order to “collectively go to some of those markets and promote take-up,” she added, Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, and the British Council are now collaborating with Ucas.
She said, “There is a big Chinese presence in that foreign market.” However, it would be beneficial to observe that it is more evenly distributed over the globe in five years.
But yesterday, many questioned if enrolling more overseas students was a wise idea.
It’s excellent that our colleges accept students from all over the globe, according to Professor Alan Smithers of Buckingham University’s Center for Education and Employment Research.
But it’s crucial that we keep foreign recruiting in check so that British colleges can fully foster British talent.
There is always the chance that this advantage will overshadow the significance of cultivating British talent since international students pay greater tuition.
A rise in overseas students is anticipated to contribute to an increase in total applications, according to Mrs. Marchant, who briefed the university sector yesterday.
By 2030, Ucas predicts that the number of applicants to universities would increase from 700,000 to one million.
According to her, “it’s driven by… the population growth across the UK, and that foreign demand.”
The percentage of applicants who pay the higher international level of tuition has increased at Russell Group institutions.
It reached 23% last year, which is the highest level ever. The reason selective institutions have not attracted more UK students is because they do not pay as much as foreign students, according to Mark Corver, a former director of statistics at Ucas.