UK government ministers are being warned that any U-turn on their commitments to grow international student numbers could result in billions of pounds in lost revenue, wreck their growth plans, and damage local economies in their own constituencies.
According to research from the Higher Education Policy Institute, in conjunction with Universities UK, international students make a net positive contribution of more than £25.9 billion to the UK’s economy, with every part of the UK financially better off – on average by £390 per person – because of international students.
Alongside the immeasurable social and cultural benefit they bring to our communities, international students and the financial contribution they bring are central to the government’s own strategy for economic growth, with the current strategy aiming to grow education exports to £35 billion by 2030. Earlier this year, the government was celebratory when it reached its own target of 600,000 international students earlier than planned.
