UK student visa applications fall 10.3% as universities face pressure over £12.4 billion in overseas fee income

• UK student visa applications fell by 10.3% in September 2026 compared to the previous year, continuing a broader decline in international demand.
• Sponsored study applications dropped 19% year-on-year, with applications from student dependants plummeting 31% and 89% from December 2023.
• Despite the overall decline, Nigeria remains the UK’s third-largest source of international students, while new visa brakes and tighter rules add further pressure on student recruitment.

About 71,600 applications for UK sponsored study visas were submitted in September 2026, down 10.3% from September 2025, according to the latest UK Home Office figures

The data covers visaapplications from prospective international students, rather than visas granted or students who eventually enrolled at UK universities

Home Office data also shows that applications from main students totalled 352,500 in the 12 months ending September 2026, down 19% from the previous 12-month period

Applicationsfrom student dependants fell to 15,700 during the same period, 31% lower than a year earlier and 89% below the level recorded in December 2023

Sponsored study visa grants peaked at 652,072 in the year ending June 2023 before falling 41% to 383,455 by June 2026, according to the Home Office

Since January 2024, most international students have been unable to bring dependants, except mainly postgraduate research students and government-sponsored scholars

In March 2026, the UK introduced a visa brake affecting student applicants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan

The Home Office told Parliament that applications on affected routes from those nationalities fell by more than 90% between the fourth quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026

Separately, the House of Commons Library says Confirmations of Acceptance for Studies issued for the September 2026 intake fell 27% year-on-year

Some universities have since introduced additional recruitment and visa-sponsorship controls

Business Insider Africa recently reported that the University of Sunderland had paused applications from students in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya, for courses beginning in early 2027, while separately seeking to cut about £40 million from annual operating costs

Oxford Brookes University has also tightened visa-sponsorship requirements for Nigerian applicants, including earlier CAS deadlines and a requirement to provide evidence of a visa application within seven days

It has also restricted CAS issuance for some management-course applicants relying on funds from Globus or Parallex Bank, citing UKVI compliance requirements

According to figures, UK universities received £12.4 billion from international student fees in 2024/25, equivalent to 23% of total income

Research also estimates that 404,500 international students who began courses in 2024/25 will generate £45.1 billion in economic benefits during their studies

After £4.7 billion in estimated public costs, their net contribution is projected at £40.4 billion, or about £100,000 per student

International tuition fees are not capped in the same way as domestic undergraduate fees, allowing universities to charge overseas students higher amounts, while 48 publicly funded universities in England recorded deficits in 2024/25

The September figures therefore come as international students account for nearly a quarter of university income and generate tens of billions of pounds in economic activity

Source: africa.businessinsider.com