Showing posts with label UK Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UK Education. Show all posts

Thursday 24 March 2022

Postgraduate Education in the UK - Analysis 2016 to 2022

Looking at how the UK postgraduate landscape has changed since the previous report was published a decade ago, this new report uses previously unpublished data to reveal the state of UK postgraduate education in the years before the Covid-19 crisis struck.

The analysis considers how postgraduate education was affected by the great recession of 2008 as well as at the successful implementation of student loans for home and EU postgraduate students from 2016/17 onwards.

The top 20 key findings in the report are listed below.

  1. There were 566,555 postgraduate students in 2017/18, of which 356,996 (63%) were in their first year – up by 16% since 2008/09 (p.22 and Table 2.1).
  2. Two-thirds (65%) of new postgraduates are studying for Master’s degrees, 10% are taking doctorates or other research degrees, 7% are doing teacher training and the rest (18%) a range of diplomas, certificates, professional qualifications and modules (Figure 2.1).
  3. The most popular discipline is Business & Administrative Studies (20%), followed by Education (14%) and Subjects Allied to Medicine (12%). Research postgraduates (64%) are more likely to study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) but most taught postgraduates (68%) take non-STEM subjects (Table 2.2 and pp.26-27).
  4. Just over half of new UK-domiciled postgraduates (53%) study full-time, reversing past trends favouring part-time study – back in 2008/09, most postgraduates (59%) were part-time students (Table 2.4 and pp.32-33).
  5. More than half (60%) of new postgraduate students at UK institutions come from the UK, while one-third (32%) come from outside the EU and 8% come from EU countries. The majority of Master’s students (53%) come from outside the UK (Table 2.5 and Table 2.6).
  6. Between 2008/09 and 2017/18, UK-domiciled postgraduate entrants increased by 10% but students from overseas grew faster: EU-domiciled student numbers increased by 11% and non-EU international students grew by 33% (Table 3.2).
  7. Since the referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union, the number of new postgraduate students from EU countries has fallen(by 2% in 2017/18 and another 2% in 2018/19), but the reduction in the value of the pound contributed to a 10% increase in non-EU postgraduate starters in 2017/18 (Figure 3.14, p.81 and Figure 3.10).
  8. Chinese students formed 38% of the non-EU postgraduate cohort by 2017/18. Such heavy reliance on a single country exposes universities to greater risk from geo-political events (p.84 and Table 3.3).
  9. The introduction of £10,000 Master’s loans for home / EU students in 2016 had a big positive impact: UK-domiciled student numbers grew by 29% in one year and by 59% among those from the most disadvantaged areas. The loans have also encouraged above-inflation fee increases (Figure 2.22, Figure 3.11, p.80 and Table 5.3).
  10. The number of people taking Taught Master’s courses grew by 30% from 2008/09 to 2017/18, but the total has been volatile, particularly among UK students. Among all new postgraduates, justover half (51%) were full-time Taught Master’s students in 2017/18 (Table 3.1 and p.23).
  11. The great recession following the 2007/08 financial crash witnessed a marked rise in Master’s take-up, as employment opportunities were restricted and people brought forward their plans to study (Figure 3.12).
  12. The female:male ratio among new postgraduates is 60:40, or 62:38 among UK-domiciled students alone. This reflects greater female participation over time – in 2008/09, the overall female:male ratio was 55:45 (p.40 and Figure 2.12).
  13. The gender ratio varies considerably by discipline: women are in a big majority in Subjects Allied to Medicine (77%), Veterinary Sciences (72%) and Education (70%) and men are in a big majority in Engineering & Technology (78%), Computer Science (76%) and Mathematics (71%). Males outnumber females among PhD researchers (51%) (Table 2.7 and Figure 2.13).
  14. The proportion of postgraduate students aged under 30 has grown from 52% to 57% since 2008/09, reflecting a broader decline in people accessing lifelong learning opportunities (Figure 2.18 and p.48).
  15. White men, particularly disadvantaged White men, are less likely to undertake postgraduate study than others. Among UK-domiciled postgraduate entrants from the poorest areas, 64% are women and 36% are men (Table 2.9 and Figure 2.24).
  16. Women have a bigger boost to their earnings from postgraduate study, earning 28% more than women with only undergraduate degrees – the comparable figure for men is 12%. But women with postgraduate qualifications still earn 14% less on average than men with the same level of qualifications (Table 5.4 and p.120).
  17. In the last crash, employment among those with postgraduate qualifications was slower to fall and faster to recover than for those with only a first degree, which may signal how the labour market will respond to the current Covid-19 crisis (Figure 5.11).
  18. The abolition of post-study work visas (announced in 2011 and implemented in 2012) had a negative impact on demand for postgraduate study, most notably within India. The announcement that this policy is to be reversed is welcome but needs communicating quickly and clearly (Figure 3.15).
  19. Transnational education, where people take UK qualifications abroad, has seen substantial growth, more than doubling since 2007/08 to 127,825 postgraduates in 2017/18 and overtaking the number of overseas postgraduate students in the UK (p.58 and Table 2.11).
  20. Demand for postgraduate education is likely to grow over the long term: there could be an additional 22,750 undergraduates moving directly to postgraduate study by 2030 in England alone. While Brexit could mean a drop of around 11,500 EU postgraduates, successful implementation of the UK Government’s International Education Strategycould see an increase of 53,000 in other overseas postgraduates by 2030, although this partly depends on how the world recovers from the current Covid-19 crisis (pp.131-133).
The Report is by HEPI - The UK's only independent think tank devoted to higher education.

Wednesday 17 June 2020

Return of Two year Post-Study Work Visa - 2020

Post study work visa 2020


Last year the UK Government announced the return of two year post-study work visas. 

The new immigration route will allow eligible students at higher education providers, studying any subject, to work for two years after completing their course. From information published so far, we understand that there will be no cap on the number of students who will be able to apply under this route. 

The UK Home Office has confirmed that international students will remain eligible for post-study work rights upon graduation if they begin or continue their studies online in the 2020/21 academic year.


The Home Office has announced key features of the route:

  • It will be open to international students who have successfully completed a course of study at undergraduate (RQF 6) level or above at a Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance, and who have a valid and extant student visa at the time of application;

  • The application process will be simple. There will be an application fee and applicants will pay the Immigration Health Surcharge;

  • Applicants will be subject to identity, criminality and security checks;

  • The leave period granted will be two years and will be non-extendable. Settlement rights will not be accrued;

  • Individuals will be able to work, or look for work in any sector, at any level;

  • Individuals will be able to switch into the skilled work route if they meet the requirements.
     

Successful students will then (as of 2020) be allowed to stay in the UK for two years after they graduate. During this time, they can job-hunt and work in the UK. Once the two-year period has finished, they can switch to another visa category, such as a Tier 2 Work Visa, or a Spouse Visa.



Reference  - UK Home Office 


Monday 13 November 2017

Student Loans Fraud Exposed by BBC Panorama

Greenwich School of Management in London - also known as GSM London has come under scrutiny amid reports from BBC panorama programme today, The BBC says whistle blowers tipped it off about a "dodgy freelance agent" and malpractices in recruiting students for its degree programme with Plymouth University .

BBC Panorama's investigation comes at a time of massive change in Higher education landscape in England, The Higher Education and Research Act, passed earlier this year, would create a powerful new regulator for higher education in England called the Office for Students. The government is also looking at whether new businesses could offer degrees from day one on a probationary basis, which could attract interest from companies operating elsewhere in the world.

About £400m-a-year is received by 112 private colleges through the student loan system. The government is keen to expand the sector as part of reforms designed to make degree and diploma courses more accessible to people who might otherwise find it difficult to enter higher education.

This year total student loan debt, from universities and private colleges, amounted to £100bn.

In todays BBC's  Panaorama programme Plymouth University and GSM London college have been heavily implicated in student loan fraud, both institutions have declined direct involvement in the matter. You can see more on this story on Panorama, Student Loan Scandal on BBC One at 7.30pm on Monday 13th November and afterwards on iPlayer.

Wednesday 13 July 2016

More than 99,000 non-EU students visas curtailed by the Home Office in the past three years

More than 30,000 non-EU students a year have had their visas curtailed by the Home Office in the past three years, according to the figures obtained by BBC News show. Also it is revealed that 410 educational establishments had their licences to sponsor international students revoked in the same period.

The figures, released by the Home Office under Freedom of Information rules, show 99,635 students had their visas curtailed in the three years to the end of December 2015:
  • 33,210 in 2013
  • 34,210 in 2014
  • 32,215 in 2015
Of the educational establishments that lost their licences, there were
  • 199 in 2013
  • 129 in 2014
  • 72 in 2015
Some later had their licences reinstated - but, overall, the number of establishments holding them fell from 1,706 in 2013 to 1,405 by the end of last year.

According to official figures, 201,763 students applied for UK study visas last year.

These include:
  • 166,366 at universities
  • 15,982 in further education
  • 2,930 in English language schools
  • 13,675 in independent schools
According to an Office of National Statistics published in January, 192,000 international students arrived in the UK for long-term study in the year to June 2015 - down from a peak of 238,000 in 2010.

Summary of Recent Changes to UK Student Visa 2014, 2015, 2016 July onward
1. Summary of Recent Changes to UK Student Visa and News Watch end of 2015 to 2016,February

Wednesday 2 December 2015

College fraud claim: Payments to a Cardiff campus and its students were suspended

A recruiter for West London Vocational Training College in Cardiff said they could cheat their way to receiving thousands of pounds, Recruiter, Kazi Shajahan offered to sell coursework needed for qualifications.

It prompted Education Minister Huw Lewis to suspend payments to West London Vocational Training College and to its Cardiff students.

The college, based on the city's Greyfriars Road, has nearly 100 IT and business students. Those on Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) can receive up to £17,000 a year in loans and grants, which will only be repaid when they earn more than £21,000 annually.

One of the journalists faked a GCSE certificate and applied for funding which was approved. Another potential student, who does not want to be identified, says Mr Shajahan offered him the chance to take part. "He was offering £10,000 student finance plus the grant," he claimed.

Also College principal Dr Manoj Kumar is revealed to have faked his Cambridge University PhD and teaching certificates

Courtesy: BBC Wales presenter Tim Rogers and the Week In Week Out team uncovered the allegations Week In Week Out is on BBC One Wales at 22:40 GMT on Tuesday, 1 December

Wednesday 18 November 2015

UK Student Visa - New Changes for International Students - 2015, November

On 12th November 2015 the following rules changed for international students


1.. Tier 4 (General) students studying at colleges (private or public) can no longer extend their stay in Tier 4 or switch into any other points-based route (Such as Tier 2 or Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)), unless they are studying at a college which UKVI classes as an “embedded college”. There is no change for students attending a university.

2. The length of time that a Tier 4 (General) student may spend studying further education courses (i.e. courses at National Qualifications Framework levels 3-5 and equivalents) will be reduced from three years to two.

3. All Tier 4 students who are extending their visa or applying for a new visa will need to show they have maintenance funds for the duration of their course or 9 months whichever is shorter. Previously if a student had been in the UK for 6 months or more (i.e. already studying) a reduced rate applied, as they were deemed to have “established presence.”

4. The area in which Tier 4 students have to demonstrate a higher ‘London’ level of funds is being expanded to include the University of London or institutions wholly or partly within the area comprising the City of London and the Former Metropolitan Police District.



Note:
Study UK (An association for independent providers of higher education, further education and professional training) estimates that over the next 3 years each institution would loss £210 000 rising to average loss of £337 000 by 2017

*About the survey: Study UK’s 135 members, of which 56 responded, 34 colleges said they would suffer “significant financial losses” over the next three years because of the changes.

Tuesday 14 July 2015

All part-time work rights for non-EU students studying at publicly funded colleges to be abolished

It is expected that the scrapping of work rights for non EU students will be enforced from August and the other changes to be implemented in Autumn,

The summary of changes
  • Non-EU students at publicly funded colleges lose right to work for up to 10 hours a week, matching rule for those at privately funded colleges
  • The length of further education visas will be reduced from three years to two.
  • FE college students will not be able to stay and work in UK when they finish their course, unless they leave the country first (will be exempted if they are registered at an institution with a formal link to a university)

Friday 30 January 2015

65 Colleges Licences Revoked, 600 Plus Students Removed or Detained

Last yearThe UK government revoked the licences of 54 plus private colleges, since then, according to Home Office sources more than 1,600 enforcement visits have been made and over 600 individuals have been served removal notices or detained in relation to curtailment of student visa matters

Amid upcoming elections the number one issue has become Immigration according to the recent opinion polls and pressure has flown down from political hierarchy to authorities such as UKVI to exercise more grip on Immigration, also additional measures has been introduced to crack down on bogus students which included recent measures such as mandatory landlord checks on tenants’ immigration status, which are currently being trialled in the West Midlands.

One of the trigger in this ongoing crack down is with fraud in English language testing system detected last year - now more than 33,725 invalid TOEIC test results have been reported by ETS Global to the Home Office, along with 22,694 questionable results – up from 19,000 and 29,000 respectively at the time of the original announcement and investigation.

Crack down on student visa scams is not unique to UK it is a common trend in many countries, in Australia the number of student visas cancelled by the Australian government has more than tripled in the last two years (according to The Australian that student visa cancellations more than doubled from 1,978 in 2012 to 4,940 in 2013, rising again to 7,061 in the last financial year) as instances of falsified test results and/or financial documents have soared, we reckon this trend is not only purely on irregularities on student front and private tier institutions but also stems largely from the popular dis comfort of Immigrants in the wider society thus has become a political issue

We at UKEducationForAll.com kindly urge that all Sponsors who take students from institutions whose licences have been revoked will need to undertake their normal compliance checks and there is no reason in principle why they should not accept such students who have not, individually, been found to be at fault

Friday 24 October 2014

List of suspended or revoked colleges as of 24th October, 2014

The UK government has revoked the licences of 54 private colleges as of 23rd October, 2014, in its investigation into immigration fraud launched in June. The institutions were among 57 centres to have their licences suspended by the Home Office (Refer our earlier post)

Simon Walker, director-general of the Institute of Directors, said he was "appalled" by how overseas students had been caught up in targets for reducing immigration into the UK. “Universities were victims of political point-scoring”, said Mr Walker.

We at UKEducationForAll.com kindly urge that all Sponsors who take students from institutions whose licences have been revoked will need to undertake their normal compliance checks and there is no reason in principle why they should not accept such students who have not, individually, been found to be at fault.

We like to emphasise that Institutions who have their licences revoked still have a duty of care in ensuring that their students complete their studies and we firmly expect that they will honour this and assist in making appropriate arrangements.

Students, who are still unclear or concerned about their immigration status should contact Home Office on 0114 207 1688 (UK) or 0044 114 207 1688 (outside UK) between 9:00am and 5:00pm, Monday to Friday and 9:00am to 1:00pm on Saturday.

The following Colleges can no longer recruit or teach international students (Licenses Revoked or Surrendered)

1. Alpha Meridian College – Revoked

2. APS Computer Solutions Ltd Trading As Pitman Training Centre Peterborough – Revoked

3. Birmingham Institute of Education Training and Technology – Revoked

4. Blake Hall College – Revoked

5. Bradford College of Management – Surrendered

6. Bradford Metropolitan College – Revoked

7. Bradford Regional College – Revoked

8. Bristol College of Accountancy – Revoked

9. Britain College – Surrendered

10.CAHRO Academy Ltd – Revoked

11.Central College London (a division of Huawen Institute) – Revoked

12.Central Cranbrook College – Revoked

13.Citizen 2000 Education Institute – Revoked

14.City of London Academy – Revoked

15.College of Advanced Studies – Revoked

16.College of East London – Revoked

17.College of Excellence Limited – Revoked

18.Essex College Ltd – Revoked

19.Eynsford College – Revoked

20.Forbes Graduate School – Revoked

21.Hammersmith Management College – Revoked

22.Helios International College – Revoked

23.Interlink College of Technology and Business Studies – Revoked

24.Katherine and King's College of London – Revoked

25.Kinnaird College – Revoked

26.LIT LON Ltd – Revoked

27.London Academy of Management and Business (LAMB) – Surrendered

28.London Churchill College – Surrendered

29.London College of Finance and Accounting – Revoked

30.London College of Business Management and Computing Studies –Surrendered

31.London Corporate College – Revoked

32.London Metropolitan College – Revoked

33.London Premier College Limited – Revoked

34.London Regal College – Revoked

35.London School of Marketing Trading As LS Business School – Revoked

36.London School of Technology – Revoked

37.London St. Andrew's College – Revoked

38.Manchester College of Management Sciences Limited – Revoked

39.Manchester International College – Revoked

40.Manchester Trinity College Limited – Revoked

41.Midlands Academy of Business and Technology – Revoked

42.North West College Reading – Revoked

43.Pharez UK Ltd Trading As Pharez College – Revoked

44.Queensbury College – Revoked

45.Radcliffe College – Revoked

46.Sanjari International College – Revoked

47.Shakespeare College – Revoked

48.Stanfords College UK Limited – Revoked

49.Superior College London – Revoked

50.UK Business Academy – Revoked

51.UK Vocational Training College Trading As UK College of Arts and

Technology – Revoked

52.Vernon Community College – Revoked

53.West George College – Revoked

54.West London Business College Ltd – Revoked

As at 23 October 15:00



Reference


Thursday 10 October 2013

Just 119 Graduate Entrepreneur visas granted in 12 months

A visa scheme set up to mitigate the loss of the post-study work route for international students granted just 119 work permits in its first year.

The graduate entrepreneur visa for international students with “world-class and innovative” business ideas was launched in April 2012. It was brought in as the popular Tier 1 post-study work visa, which allowed non-European Union students to work for two years after graduation, was axed – a change that has been credited with causing a huge drop in demand for UK courses from students in some countries, especially India.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

Playing by rules, Work entitlement for private tier students

Home Office ‘looking into’ partnership between Glyndwr University and London School of Business and Finance
It is understood that the Home Office has been looking into the partnership between Glyndwr University and the London School of Business and Finance, although there is no suggestion that any rules have been broken.

The breakdown of the arrangement follows the end of a similar partnership that the LSBF had last year with London Metropolitan University.

Read more here

Thursday 28 February 2013

Net migration to UK drops to 163,000

Fall of 84,000 from previous year has been caused mainly by decline in overseas students coming to Britain
The detailed ONS figures show that the fall has been concentrated in a decline in overseas students coming to Britain, down from 239,000 in the year to June 2011 to 197,000 in the year to June 2012.
The detailed Home Office figures show the biggest drops were in overseas study visas for places at English language schools which were down 69%, at further education colleges, which were down 62%, and at public schools – down 14%. Study visas for university places rose by 3%.

Read more here

Friday 7 December 2012

Post Study Work Visa......What Next? - Part II


Post Study Work Visa......What Next? - Part II

Consultant Editor - Fahmida Khan 

The new rules that were enforced on the 6th of April 2012 has led to the closure of the PSW route to all new applicants. In the light of this new change this article focuses on the options and alternatives available for new and qualified graduates.

The current immigration rules has outlined the below as potential routes to extend the current leave to remain:
  • Tier 4 student 
  • Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur 
  • Tier 1 Entrepreneur 
  • Tier 1 Investor 
  • Tier 2 
A graduate who has either just graduated or is under the PSW route could opt to extend their stay as a Tier 4 student provided a valid CAS and sufficient maintenance funds are available to satisfy the points requirements. However careful consideration and attention has to be given to the changes in the new policy guidance that place limitations on the type of course, length of study, continuity of studies, work restrictions, type of the education provider, and bringing dependents - if opting for this route.

The other more favorable route for fresh graduates would be to switch to the Tier 1 route of Graduate Entrepreneur. This is a new category that is intended to retain graduates identified by UK higher education institutions as having developed world class innovative ideas or entrepreneurial skills, to extend their stay in the UK after graduation to establish or more businesses in the UK. This is not applicable for PSW holders or other graduates outside the UK. There is a limit of 1000 places per annum for this category.

The main conditions that need to be fulfilled for this category is to obtain 95 points based on: 
  • Letter of endorsement from a higher education institution that has been approved by the UK Border Agency for the purposes of endorsing the application under this route. The endorsement letter should confirm that the candidate has been assessed and the business idea and that the business they pursue is genuine, credible and innovative, and are willing to spend the majority of the working time on developing business ventures. The letter could be used as part of the application within 3 months of the date of issue. 75 points will be awarded for this.
  • 10 points each will be awarded for English language and satisfactory maintenance funds – please refer the relevant policy guidance for further information. 

Tier 1 Entrepreneur 

Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) is for non-European migrants who want to invest in the UK by setting up or taking over, and being actively involved in the running of, a business or businesses here.

You must score a total of 95 points and meet all the other requirements below:
  • Access to investment funds : 25 points 
    • not less than £200,000 OR 
    • not less than £50,000 if it is from a UK venture capital firm or entrepreneurial seed firm OR 
    • not less than £50,000 if applying for leave to remain and have, or were last granted, leave as a Tier 1 (Graduate entrepreneur) migrant. 
    • not less than £50,000 if are applying for leave to remain and have, or were last granted, leave as a Tier 1 (Post-study work) migrant; and were registered with HM revenue and Customs as self-employed, or a registered director of a new or existing business no more than 3 months before your application; and are engaged in business activity, other than the work necessary to administer your business. 
  • These funds are held in 1 or more regulated financial institutions - 25 points
  • These funds are disposable (free to spend) in the UK - 25 points
  • You can speak English to the required standard – 10 points 
  • You have enough money to support yourself while you are in the UK -10 points 
Please refer the relevant policy guidance for further information.


Tier 1 Investor 

The Tier 1 (Investor) category is for high-net-worth individuals who want to make a substantial financial investment in the UK.

To be able to apply, you must score 75 points by either
  • having £1,000,000 or more of your own money for investment in the UK; OR 
  • having £2,000,000 or more in personal assets, plus a loan of £1,000,000 or more for investment in the UK. 
Please refer the relevant policy guidance for further information.


Please Note: 
  • From the 20th of July 2012, all the regulations laid out in the policy guidance documents have been passed as a parliamentary act and therefore forms an integral part of the Immigration rules. Hence failure to satisfy all the specific requirements would lead to an automatic refusal of your visa application.
  • Ensure that you are thorough with the policy guidance for the particular the points based route that you opt for. It is a daunting task and would be advisable to seek professional guidance if you are unable to come to terms with the policies and procedures.
All the Best!!

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Monday 13 February 2012

New student visa rules to welcome the brightest and proposals to tackle abuse


The UKBA has proposed its latest set of rules to come into force within weeks to cut abuse of the student visa route and ensure that only the brightest and the best students can stay and work in the UK, Immigration - the Minister Damian Green had announced today.

Students can currently work in the UK for 2 years after their studies have finished, under the Tier 1 (Post-study work) route. But from 6 April, a more selective system would come into effect so only the most talented international graduates can apply to stay in the UK for work purposes.

Only those who graduate from a university, and have an offer of a skilled job at a salary of at least £20,000 (or more in some cases) from a reputable employer accredited by the UK Border Agency, will be able to continue living and working in the UK in order to benefit the British economy.

The rules are part of a radical overhaul of the student visa system, which will:

  • encourage growth - a new Graduate Entrepreneur route will open, with up to 1,000 places for students working on world-class innovative ideas who want to stay and develop them but do not meet the requirements of the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) route;
  • boost the economy - young entrepreneurs or small company directors will get the chance to stay on in the UK after their studies if they have £50,000 to invest in their business;
  • ensure that students can support themselves - for the first time since 2008, there will be an increase in the amount of money that students and working migrants (and their dependants) must prove they have to support themselves financially during their time in the UK; and
  • tackle abuse - restricting work placements to one-third of the course for international students who are studying below degree level will ensure that those coming to the UK are here to study, not to work (as was often the case in the past). Additionally, the time that can be spent studying at degree level will be restricted to a general limit of 5 years.
Click here to read the full details of the changes that are coming into effect and the statement of intent by the Minister.

Thursday 22 September 2011

Post Study Work Visa......What Next?

Post Study Work Visa....What Next ? There are only very few options left for the PSW Visa holders. Fahmida Khan, Consultant Editor, http://www.ukeducationforall.com/ writes



PSW Overview
The Tier 1 – Post Study Work route was intended to allow recent international or Non EU graduates from most established universities / listed bodies to stay and work in UK for maximum for two years. PSW visa allows them to work without any restrictions but it cannot be extended beyond two years. A post-study worker is expected to switch into any of the below points-based system:
  • Tier 1 General
  • Tier 2 General or
  • Tier 4
Current Situation
As of April 2011 the Tier 1 General category has been closed for all applicants.
Click here to read the full article

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Friday 7 January 2011

Uwic course cutbacks confirmed amid shake-up

BBC Reports that Courses, staff and students are to be reduced at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, (Uwic) as higher education funding cuts and changes take effect, according to BBC wales Education Minister Leighton Andrews, has repeatedly called for mergers between universities and in December the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales published proposals to reduce the number of universities in Wales from 10 to six, with just two universities in south east Wales.

Funding Cuts, Developing Story
Currently, universities and directly funded FE colleges receive HEFCE cash to pay for teacher training courses. Full-time students have access to bursaries, which cover the cost of fees and some living expenses, while part-time students’ employers have access to grants to cover their fees. according to Denise Robinson, director of the Consortium for Post-Compulsory Education and Training, said part-time students receiving “in-service” training - the route favoured by around 90 per cent of FE teachers - might have to pay as much as £8,000 for a two-year course when the changes come into effect in 2012/13 - more than five times the current fee of £1,500

Courtesy: BBC Wales, Times Higher Education/TES, More about Post Compulsory Education & Training Network

Wednesday 5 January 2011

Change needed for Oxford and Cambridge to remain leaders

Oxford and Cambridge are very special universities – on that, at least, their supporters and detractors agree. But attempting to define how (and why) they are special opens up an intriguing debate, and one that is crucial for the whole of higher education in the UK. Put simply, are Oxford and Cambridge leaders, role models, or so different as to be irrelevant?

A very interesting article in Guardian, To read more follow this link

Tuesday 7 December 2010

New Policy Update - Student Visa Process

New Policy Update in Summery 
  1. Raising the level of courses students can study, with only Highly Trusted Sponsors able to offer courses to adult students below degree level.
  2. introducing a tougher English language requirement;(competence at intermediary level B2)
  3. ensuring students wishing to extend their studies show evidence of academic progression;
  4. limiting students' entitlements to work and their ability to bring in dependants; and
  5. improving the accreditation process for education providers, alongside more rigorous inspections.
Further today's new policy drive is to ensure students return overseas after their course finishes will mean students will have to leave the UK and apply for a new visa to further their studies, and show evidence of progression to a higher course. It will also see the closure of the post-study route under Tier 1.

The consultation will run for 8 weeks until 31st January. This is shorter than a standard 12 week consultation so that the policy can be announced in advance of the next academic year.

Rushdy Razak,
Extract from UKBA, 7th Dec, 2010, 3.30PM(GMT)

Government confirms plans to curb international student visa

The immigration minister, Damian Green, today confirmed the government's intention to bar tens of thousands of adult overseasstudents coming to study "below-degree-level" courses in Britain at all but "highly trusted" colleges.

Today's proposals follow a major review of the Student Visa Process

Click here to read the Guardians latest report, Just released

Foreign students forced to go home after studies under tough new immigration rules

Tens of thousands of foreign students will be forced to go home after finishing their studies under plans to scrap a controversial visa regime that allows them to stay in the UK to look for work.

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