UK Introduces ¢14.3K Annual Levy on Universities for Each International Student, Ghanaians Included
- The UK government confirmed a £925 annual charge on universities for every international student enrolled beyond a 220-student threshold
- Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and dozens of other countries fall within the levy's scope, with the policy set to begin in August 2028
- University leaders have warned the charge could push up international tuition fees and further reduce student enrolments
PAY ATTENTION: Mark YEN.com.gh as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
The UK government has confirmed a new annual levy targeting universities in England that enrol large numbers of international students, with the charge set to take effect in August 2028.
Under the policy, higher education institutions will pay £925 for every international student they enrol beyond a threshold of 220 students.
Source: Getty Images
The Office for Students will collect the charge using enrolment data, and the government plans to adjust the rate annually in line with inflation.
Students from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and South Africa are among those whose enrolments will attract the fee.
What the Levy Means for Universities and Students
The charge falls on universities, not on students directly. However, institutions facing large bills may respond by raising international tuition fees, effectively passing the cost on to overseas applicants.
A university with 1,000 international students would face an annual liability of £721,500 after the exemption threshold is applied.
In total, the government projects the levy will raise £445 million in its first year, climbing to £480 million by 2030 to 2031.
Education Minister Josh MacAlister told Parliament on 19 October 2026 that the funds would be directed towards maintenance grants for disadvantaged domestic students pursuing courses tied to the UK's industrial strategy.
Some universities have already begun adjusting their fee structures. The University of Bath has advised international students who started courses in 2026 to plan for annual tuition increases of up to 8%, while Birmingham City University raised fees for continuing international students by 2% for 2026 to 2027, with a further 3.5% increase planned for 2027 to 2028.
University Leaders Push Back Against the Policy
The announcement has drawn sharp criticism from higher education bodies. Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, described the measure as misguided, stating:
"It is a daft policy, and that is evident from the way that international recruitment trends have been unfolding this autumn. The Government's projections about the income it will raise are already unrealistic."
The Russell Group has separately called for PhD students to be exempted, cautioning that their inclusion could weaken UK research capacity.
Analysis by Studyportals suggests that a projected 6% fee increase to offset the levy could reduce demand from price-sensitive international applicants by more than 15%.
Notably, the levy applies only to England. Universities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are outside its scope, a distinction that could make institutions in those regions more attractive to Ghanaian and other African applicants weighing their options.
Don't miss out! Get your daily dose of sports news straight to your phone. Join YEN's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!
Source: YEN.com.gh
