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Wonkhe SUs · The 2026 webinar box set

International students in focus

Going global – immigration, internationalisation and how to resist cash-cowdom.

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We look at the shape of the international student numbers after the first fall since 2012/13, the politics that got us here – the hostile environment, Brexit and the financialisation of higher education – and the cascade of policy changes from the graduate route cut to the per-student levy. We examine what the data now shows about international students' outcomes and wellbeing, map the issues from deposits to housing to agents, and set out what SUs can do, from interrogating the data to the We Are International Charter.

What we cover

  • The shape of the numbers – a steep climb to a 2022/23 peak, then the first fall since 2012/13, and where students come from.
  • A big player in a tighter market – second only to the USA, but the gap is closing as cost and careers drive choices.
  • The PGT effect – over 60% of full-time postgraduates international, on one-year Masters universities weren't built for.
  • The politics – the hostile environment, Brexit's two instincts, and international fees quietly cross-subsidising the sector.
  • What's changed and when – from higher maintenance thresholds and the graduate route cut to the £925-per-student levy.
  • The new International Education Strategy – £40bn of exports by 2030, but no student-number, outcome or retention targets.
  • Seeing clearly – the attainment gap, slipping graduate outcomes, and the mental health and friendship data.
  • Money before they arrive – non-refundable deposits, the DMCC Act, and why instalments work.
  • Compliance risk passed to students – the BCA regime, withdrawn CAS, visa delays and the agent question.
  • What SUs can do – interrogate the data, follow the financial model, and use UKCISA and the We Are International Charter.

Things to read

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