At least 15 universities across the United Kingdom have unveiled strategies to downsize staff and potentially discontinue certain courses in response to a significant drop in enrollment of international students, including those from Nigeria.
As reported by University World News, the decline in foreign student enrollment has been particularly pronounced at the postgraduate level.
This trend is partly attributed to the UK government’s decision to scale back support for international students, with certain privileges previously granted to them now being curtailed.
Moreover, there are apprehensions regarding the global rise in living expenses, which could further deter foreign students from enrolling in undergraduate programs.
This challenging scenario is impacting a wide spectrum of universities, ranging from prestigious institutions like the Russell Group Universities to mid-tier universities and Scottish establishments.
Robert Gordon University (RGU) has recently initiated a voluntary severance program to address staff redundancies stemming from financial strain caused by a significant decrease in international student enrollments. This decline can be traced back to alterations in UK immigration policies post-Brexit.
RGU has identified escalating cost pressures and a substantial reduction in public funding as significant contributing factors to its financial difficulties.