Every year, thousands of international Art and Design students arrive at UK universities – but their ability to fully contribute to our culture, society and economy is increasingly imperilled.
Britain is traditionally welcoming to international students. Since 2010, numbers have grown annually, in line with growing numbers of home students. In 2021-2022, roughly 680,000 were studying here.
When international students finish their courses, they can stay for two years, which gives them ample time to contribute to both society and the economy. A minority stay for good, provided they meet the sufficient salary threshold to acquire a visa. If the UK, then, is generous and welcoming to international students, and if overall numbers are growing, why am I so concerned about where we are headed? Let me explain….
Last year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak committed to clamping down on so-called “low value courses” – those deemed not to make a sufficient financial contribution to the graduate and the economy. There are two ways the UK government measures that contribution: a survey students take 15 months after graduation; and modelling based on lifetime predicted earnings.
