Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to international student policy on the finances of universities.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government has been clear that we welcome international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. International students positively impact our higher education (HE) sector, economy, and society as a whole and enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and become global ambassadors for the UK.
The Immigration White Paper, published in May, sets out a balanced approach - helping the government achieve our manifesto commitment on reducing net migration while maintaining the UK’s global competitiveness.
The Office for Students (OfS) has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that providers will need to change their business models to protect their financial health as a response to this risk and others. HE providers are independent from government and as such are responsible for managing their finances.
This government has taken action to support the financial sustainability of universities after seven years of frozen tuition fee caps. The maximum fee for a standard full-time undergraduate course in the 2025/26 academic year was increased by 3.1%, from £9,250 to £9,535. To provide long-term certainty over future funding for the sector, so that it can focus on reform, we will increase tuition fee caps in line with forecast inflation in 2026/27 and 2027/28 and then legislate to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help support higher education providers that have financial challenges in the next academic year.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government has been clear that we welcome international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. International students positively impact our higher education (HE) sector, economy, and society as a whole and enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and become global ambassadors for the UK.
The Immigration White Paper, published in May, sets out a balanced approach - helping the government achieve our manifesto commitment on reducing net migration while maintaining the UK’s global competitiveness.
The Office for Students (OfS) has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that providers will need to change their business models to protect their financial health as a response to this risk and others. HE providers are independent from government and as such are responsible for managing their finances.
This government has taken action to support the financial sustainability of universities after seven years of frozen tuition fee caps. The maximum fee for a standard full-time undergraduate course in the 2025/26 academic year was increased by 3.1%, from £9,250 to £9,535. To provide long-term certainty over future funding for the sector, so that it can focus on reform, we will increase tuition fee caps in line with forecast inflation in 2026/27 and 2027/28 and then legislate to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing an annual cap on the number of student visas issued.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to a United Kingdom that is outward looking and welcomes international students, who make a positive contribution to the UK’s higher education sector, our economy and society as a whole. Universities in England received an estimated £12.1 billion annually in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supports provision of places for domestic students and research and development.
The department has recently published the Immigration White Paper, which sets out a balanced approach, helping the government achieve our manifesto commitment of reducing net migration while maintaining the UK’s global competitiveness and making a significant contribution to growth by boosting the UK’s skills base. We have also announced a levy on international students’ fees to fund the reintroduction of targeted maintenance grants for disadvantaged students.
The department is reviewing the International Education Strategy to ensure that it increases the value of education exports and reflects the priorities of education organisations and businesses.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of financial pressures on universities on their international recruitment practices.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government has been clear that we welcome international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK and positively impact our higher education (HE) sector. However, we will not tolerate abuse of the student visa system in any way and measures set out in the Immigration white paper in May, set out a balanced approach, helping the government achieve our manifesto commitment on reducing net migration and whilst maintaining the UK’s global competitiveness.
The Office for Students (OfS) has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that providers will need to change their business models to protect their financial health as a response to this risk and others.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of academic exchange programmes between UK and Australian universities; and whether she plans to increase levels of bilateral cooperation in higher education.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to providing enriching opportunities for students and young people to experience other countries and cultures, including through trips and exchanges with key partners such as Australia.
The department monitors participation in schemes such as the Turing Scheme, the UK government’s global programme for students to study and work abroad. The scheme has helped tens of thousands of UK students to study and work abroad, including in Australia, and is now in its fifth year.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of reliance on international students on the higher education sector.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK and enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and become global ambassadors for the UK.
Higher education (HE) providers in the UK received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students and research and development.
Our world class HE sector attracts high quality students from across the globe and can offer a fulfilling and enjoyable experience to international students from around the world.
The Post-16 education and skills white paper sets out the government’s commitment to building a world-class skills system, one that breaks down the barriers to opportunity, meets the needs of students and employers, drives economic growth, and improves lives across the country.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the UK opposed advancing discussions on a new optional protocol on free education at the Intergovernmental Working Group on Free Education in September 2025; and whether she plans to review that decision.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to investing in children and promoting equal access to education. The UK already provides free primary and secondary education and has been supporting partners globally to deliver education for all. We challenged the need for a new optional protocol as free secondary education is already provided for under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. States Parties to these treaties should already be providing free education.
We do not believe the resources required to develop a new treaty solely on free pre-primary education are justified when they could otherwise be used to implement existing international obligations.
This position is in line with several UN entities, including United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the leading actor on child rights with a global presence and understanding of lived realities.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish an updated International Education Strategy.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is conducting a review of the UK government’s International Education Strategy alongside the Department for Business and Trade, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, to ensure that it continues to be an effective tool in increasing the value of education exports and reflects the priorities of education stakeholders, businesses and our global partners. As part of the review process, officials have engaged with devolved government officials and stakeholders to seek feedback on the strategic direction and other aspects of the strategy. We will announce next steps on this shortly.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to make a financial pledge to the Global Partnership for Education.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All financial allocations will be announced in the normal way in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Sheffield (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the geographical distribution of overseas universities which have partnerships with UK universities.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The UK is home to globally recognised universities that operate in nearly every corner of the world, often in partnership with overseas institutions. These partnerships strengthen global ties, facilitate research partnerships and enable transnational education provision to reach over 200 countries and territories, allowing 621,065 students to study overseas for UK higher education qualifications in 2023/24.
The UK’s International Education Champion, Professor Sir Steve Smith, has led multiple missions and delegations to promote educational partnerships in a range of countries. The department is currently reviewing the UK’s international education strategy to ensure that it continues to reflect the priorities of the education sector, including UK universities, and global partners across the world.