The United Kingdom plans to introduce an annual £925 (about $1,200) levy on universities for each international student enrolled from Nigeria and other countries, including India and China, from August 2028.
The proposed charge will apply to higher education institutions in England, with the revenue earmarked to fund maintenance grants for disadvantaged domestic students.
According to the latest UK Home Office statistics for the year ending June 2026, China, India and Nigeria were the three leading nationalities granted sponsored study visas, accounting for approximately 54 per cent of visas issued to main applicants.
Reports indicate that the National Union of Students and the Russell Group have raised concerns about the proposed funding arrangement.
The warning comes amid Home Office data showing that international student visa applications fell by 22 per cent over the past year and by more than 30 per cent compared with three years ago.
The provision states,” The levy is charged for an academic year on a registered higher education provider in respect of the international students who are for any period during the year registered on a higher education course provided by the provider.”
The legislation specifies that universities will be charged £925 annually for each international student enrolled.
It also states that students admitted in previous academic years will become liable for the levy once they reach the anniversary of their initial registration.
This means universities could face recurring annual payments for continuing international students, rather than paying the charge only for newly admitted students.
The government had earlier projected that the international student levy would generate £445m in 2028/29, £465m in 2029/30 and £480m in 2030/31, based on assumptions of relatively stable international student recruitment.
Under the proposed scheme, eligible undergraduates from households with annual incomes of up to £30,000 would receive financial support throughout their university studies.
