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The Guardian

Record numbers of students from mainland China and Hong Kong are applying for places at British universities, overtaking the number of applicants from Wales, according to official figures.
Data from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) shows a spike in demand for undergraduate places from mainland China and a small rise in applications from the EU, despite fears over Brexit.
The figures taken from UCAS’s January deadline, when the bulk of undergraduate applications are made, show a 1 per cent decline in UK applicants, but a 9 per cent surge from international candidates meant the total number of applications went up for the first time in three years.
The number of applications from China and Hong Kong rose from more than 17,000 last year to 21,000 this year.
Why do so many Chinese study abroad, when local universities are already among the world’s best?
In contrast, only 18,850 applications came from Wales, meaning that if those trends are sustained there will soon be more undergraduates from China studying at British universities than from Wales.
Last year there were also more than 100,000 postgraduate students from China and Hong Kong at British universities, out of nearly 350,000 full-time postgraduates.
Overall the numbers will come as a relief to the higher education sector, after widespread concern that the Brexit crisis would erode applications from within the EU and outside Europe.

British universities have doubled their recruitment efforts overseas, while for European applicants it may be their last chance to access lower tuition fees and student loans before Britain exits the EU. International students from outside the EU generally pay much higher fees and are not eligible for loans from the UK government.
The emotional downside to studying in the UK for Chinese students
Clare Marchant, UCAS’s chief executive, said: “In this time of uncertainty, it’s welcome news to see more EU and international students wanting to come and study in the UK.”
Alistair Jarvis, the chief executive of Universities UK, which lobbies on behalf of British universities, said despite the latest figures the UK risked falling behind rivals such as New Zealand.
“We are calling for a new graduate visa that will make the UK more attractive to international students, allowing a wider range of employers in all parts of the UK to benefit from access to talented graduates from around the world,” Jarvis said.
Application rates from within the UK also appear to have defied predictions of a fall-off driven by rising student debt.
Despite a 2 per cent fall in the number of 18-year-olds in the population, the proportion from that age group applying to university jumped to nearly 39 per cent in England, while in Wales there was a rise to above 32 per cent.
Immigration blunder: Chinese nursing student invited to UK on scholarship – then invited to leave in handcuffs
“The unexpected rise in the application rate from English 18-year-olds, against the population trend, signals they still recognise the challenge and rewards of full-time undergraduate study,” Marchant said.
Policymakers will be pleased to see a narrowing in the gap in applications from the least and most advantaged households, with 23 per cent of young people living in areas of low educational attainment now applying for places.
The results came against a background of uncertainty over funding, with a review commissioned by Prime Minister Theresa May expected to recommend tuition fees be cut to £6,500-£7,000 (US$8,300-US$9,050) from their current level of £9,250.
“To drive social mobility and strengthen the economy, the current post-18 education review should recommend policies to support access for anyone who has the potential to benefit from a university education,” Jarvis said.
Universities UK this week launched a national campaign asking the government to keep funding study abroad opportunities for British students if the UK cannot remain a member of the pan-European Erasmus student programme after Brexit.


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Education

Record numbers from mainland China and Hong Kong apply to study in UK

Students waiting for the UK Visa application at UK Visa Application Centre in Hong Kong in Causeway Bay. The UK Home Office said in a statement earlier that it was urgently looking into the UK student visa delay cases. 04SEP17 SCMP / Nora Tam

Overseas students pose for a photog on Graduation day at Birmingham University, UK. File photo: Alamy

The emotional downside to studying in the UK for Chinese students

The vastly different system to that in China and tendency for colleges to devote more effort to marketing themselves than student welfare are being blamed for unhappiness among the Chinese studying in Britain

Chris Wang, 28, is doing a master's degree in finance and accounting at Queen Mary University of London after studying Hong Kong.

Yinbo Yu, 26, International Student’s Officer with the UK’s National Union of Students

Hong Kong International Education Expo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre(HKCEC) in Wan Chai. 09JUL17 SCMP/ Felix Wong

File photo of Cambridge University and Kings College Chapel. The British government says it is keen to attract foreign students. Photo: Shutterstock

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Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong university applicants now outnumber those from Wales


Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong university applicants now outnumber those from Wales.


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