Compiled from reports by Nairametrics and Vanguard News. See the original articles linked below.
Higher education providers in England are due to pay a yearly charge of £925, roughly $1,200, for international students from August 2028, according to reports published on 27 October 2026 by Vanguard News and Nairametrics, two Nigerian outlets.
How the levy would work
Vanguard reported that the charge applies to each international student above an exemption threshold, with the first 220 overseas enrolments exempt. Both outlets said it covers continuing students as well as new arrivals. Nairametrics wrote that continuing students are counted when they reach the anniversary of their registration.
Vanguard said the Office for Students would oversee the scheme using enrolment data. It added that the policy was first announced in the 2025 budget and has been reaffirmed by Education Minister Josh MacAlister. Nairametrics said the money is intended to fund maintenance grants for disadvantaged domestic students.
Nairametrics described the proposed grants as up to £1,000 a year in the first two years for students from households earning up to £30,000, falling to £750 afterwards, with attention on subjects such as engineering and healthcare.
Projected revenue
Both outlets cited government projections of £445 million in 2028-29 and £480 million by 2030-31. Nairametrics also listed £465 million for 2029-30 and noted that the estimates assume international recruitment stays stable. Vanguard gave the dollar equivalents as $594 million and $641 million.
Vanguard reported that MacAlister said a planned rise in domestic tuition fee caps could generate about £6 billion for providers over five years, compared with a levy cost it put at under £1 billion.
Students from India and other countries
According to Nairametrics, China, India and Nigeria were the three largest nationalities receiving sponsored study visas in the year to June 2026, together making up about 54 per cent of visas for main applicants. Vanguard, citing Home Office figures for the same period, listed 86,368 such visas for China, 82,523 for India, 26,060 for Nigeria, 19,600 for Pakistan and about 8,800 for Bangladesh.
Vanguard also cited Department for Education data showing that Indian students generated £5.3 billion in higher education export revenue in 2024, against £4.9 billion from China and £1.7 billion from Nigeria. It put the estimated total from international students at £23.9 billion.
Reactions and wider context
The levy is charged to universities rather than to students directly. Vanguard reported that some institutions have already raised charges for international students. It said Birmingham City University increased fees for continuing students by 2 per cent for 2026-27 and plans a further 3.5 per cent for 2027-28, while the University of Bath advised students starting in 2026 to budget for annual rises of up to 8 per cent.
Nairametrics said the National Union of Students and the Russell Group have raised concerns about the arrangement. It also reported that international student visa applications fell 22 per cent over the past year, and that visa refusals rose from about 5,300 to about 8,400 in the first half of 2026 compared with the same months of 2025. According to Nairametrics, some universities have reportedly withdrawn certain offers to avoid exceeding visa refusal thresholds. Vanguard similarly reported that some British universities withdrew offers to applicants from Nigeria, Pakistan and Bangladesh amid concern over stricter sponsorship requirements.
Sources
- UK to impose $1,200 levy on universities for Nigerian, other foreign students (Nairametrics, 2026-10-27)
- UK to charge varsities $1,200 per Nigerian, other foreign student from 2028 (Vanguard News, 2026-10-27)
This article was compiled with AI assistance from the reports listed above and reviewed by GMA before publishing.