International student Levy: UCB Guild of Students respond to the government consultation

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UCB Guild of students has responded to the government’s technical consultation on proposals to introduce a levy on international students.

Representing over 3,000 international students, we have raised serious concerns about the impact the levy will have on our international students.

Under the current proposals, English Universities would be charged £925 per international student, with the first 220 students exempt from the Levy. Whilst the government places this cost on Universities, we believe it is inevitable that the burden will fall on international students. This not only increases the costs for international students, but can undermine the attractiveness of the English higher education system

We believe that the model used to calculate the costs and impact of the levy is flawed and that the impact is a lot severe than the initial government estimates. This would cause financial strain to universities and would have an immediate impact on the teaching and learning environment for students.

Soham Chougale, Education Officer, Trustee of UCB Guild of Students’ Union, said:

“International students are not a revenue stream to be tapped; they are partners in our campuses and communities, and any levy that treats them as cash cows undermines the very values UK education claims to champion”