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Written by Anam Choudhary, President, and Sarah Jilani, Education Officer.  

The UK Government plans to introduce a £925 annual levy on international students, which would cost UCL more than £20 million per year. UCL has the largest international student community of any university in the UK. At Students' Union UCL, we work hard to ensure both home and international students have an equal and rewarding university experience. 

Working alongside Russell Group Students' Unions, we recently submitted a consultation response opposing the levy and met with Kim Johnson MP in Parliament to raise our concerns. 

We believe the levy would add to an increasingly hostile environment for international students in the UK and at UCL. Moving to a new country to study is rewarding, but it can also be challenging. International students make enormous contributions to our campuses, research and culture, and as your Sabbatical Officers we want every student to feel like a valued part of our community. 

Reintroduction of maintenance grants 

From 2028/29, the government intends for funds raised from the levy to be reinvested in maintenance grants for students from lower-income backgrounds. We strongly support the return of maintenance grants, which help students from all backgrounds access higher education. However, international students should not be asked to fund this support. 

Maintaining our global competitiveness  

Last year, Russell Group Students' Unions released a report in Parliament, Globally Competitive to shine a light on the experiences of international students studying at Russell Group institutions. We found that: 

  • The median monthly living cost for international students (excluding tuition fees) is £1,635 per month 
  • 1 in 5 international students worry about money all of the time 
  • Some students feel they are treated as “cash cows” by the government 

We also found 7 in 10 international students believe that the UK is a high-quality destination for education – this is encouraging but may not always be the case. We are asking the government to create an environment that welcomes international students and supports them while they study here. 

What’s next for the levy? 

Last month, we responded to a Government consultation on the international student levy.  We are concerned that the levy may be reflected in increased tuition fees, which could further impact international student costs, or universities will incur the cost which could further damage university finances.  

We believe that this charge may lead to: 

  • Fewer international applications as costs and policy barriers rise 
  • More students seeking part-time work, potentially affecting academic outcomes 
  • Greater risk of financial hardship, increasing the likelihood of students struggling or dropping out 

Meeting with Kim Johnson MP 

We were delighted to meet with Kim Johnson MP for Liverpool Riverside, along with Liverpool Guild of Students. We discussed the impact the levy would have on the University of Liverpool and UCL. We are grateful to Kim for their support on these issues, we will continue to fight for international students in and out of parliament through our work at Students’ Union UCL and Russell Group Students' Unions. 

 
Take action 

If you also oppose the levy and want to support all international students at UCL, you can write to your local MP and ask them to express support for our cause. 
 

Get in touch 

If you’re interested in knowing more about our work to influence on your behalf please reach out  

Last updated 1 week ago