Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to visas for international students and their dependents on the finances of universities.

The government has been successful in delivering the ambition in its International Education Strategy of hosting at least 600,000 students per year, by 2030, for two years running. The department expects that universities will adapt to reduced dependant numbers following the restrictions the government has introduced to control net migration.

The department’s offer to international students remains very competitive and the department is committed to ensuring the UK remains a destination of choice for international students from across the globe. International students make a significant economic and cultural contribution to the UK’s higher education (HE) sector, which is good for our universities and delivers growth at home. Those affected by these changes will predominantly be dependants of international students. Students coming to the UK to undertake postgraduate research courses will not be affected by the new restriction on dependents.

The Office for Students (OfS), as the regulator for HE in England, has responsibility for monitoring the financial sustainability of registered providers. The department works closely with the OfS to understand the ongoing impacts and changing landscape of financial sustainability in the sector.