The recent data revealed a significant decrease in the number of overseas students enrolled in Scottish universities, dropping by nearly 10,000 in the previous year. These students, whose presence had peaked in the preceding year, provided vital tuition fees that played a crucial role in funding the institutions. According to figures from HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency), the count of international students was down by 12%, totaling 73,915, compared to 83,795 in the prior year. Concurrently, there were 173,795 students from Scotland attending universities within the country.
The departure of Britain from the EU in 2019 resulted in a decline in the number of European Union students in Scotland, which tumbled by half. Even in the current statistics, this figure continued to dwindle to just 10,430. The proportion of foreign students had been progressively increasing from the 1990s, reaching more than one in four in recent years. Notably, the largest contingent of overseas students in Scotland hails from China, whose numbers decreased from 19,000 to 17,565 in the latest data.
Dundee University witnessed a substantial 27% decline in its international student population, plummeting from 4,570 to 3,335. Meanwhile, the University of Glasgow experienced a 15% drop, going from 15,200 to 12,935 in overseas students. The most noteworthy decline was recorded at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, where the count of foreign students nearly halved, falling to 2,365. In contrast, the University of Edinburgh, despite facing financial shortcomings, managed to boost its overseas student numbers from 16,625 to 17,020.
Scotland’s attraction to overseas students is primarily fueled by the necessity for universities to compensate for inadequate funding from the government, especially in comparison to institutions in England. With Scottish students benefiting from free tuition, there has been a conscious effort to enroll students from around the globe, charging them significantly higher fees than UK students. As foreign student proportions surge, concerns about educational quality, English proficiency standards, and accommodation demands have emerged. Additionally, uncertainties such as visa restrictions, global competition, and currency fluctuations affecting potential students have contributed to the decline in international enrollments
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