Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: UK ministers have dropped targets for international students in the country and will instead focus on encouraging universities to open hubs abroad, according to a Guardian report.
The Government will now aim to grow “education exports” to £40billion a year by 2030, replacing a goal set in 2019 to recruit 600,000 international students annually to UK campuses. Under the new international education strategy, universities will be encouraged to open hubs and partnerships abroad so students can access UK education closer to home. The Department for Education said the plan removes targets for international student numbers in the UK and instead backs providers to expand into new global markets.
According to the report, the Government will introduce tougher compliance standards to ensure overseas students coming to the UK are genuine. Universities could face recruitment caps or lose their licence if they fail to meet the standards.
Ministers said the UK would continue to welcome international students and confirmed in December that the country would rejoin the EU’s Erasmus+ programme in 2027. “By expanding overseas, our universities, colleges and education providers can diversify income, strengthen global partnerships and give millions more access to a worldclass UK education on their doorstep, all whilst boosting growth at home,” Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said.
The policy follows a decline in study visas. In the year ending June 2025, 431,725 sponsored study visas were granted, down 18 per cent from the previous year and 34 per cent from a peak in 2023. The government also announced a new levy of £925 per international student for each year of study in last year’s autumn budget.
Despite the fall in visas, UCAS data cited in the Guardian report showed international undergraduate applications rose 2.2 per cent in 2025 to 138,460, with a record 10 per cent rise in applicants from China. Around 620,000 students are currently registered with UK universities overseas across nearly 200 countries and territories.
