Yorkshire cities to be hardest hit by new £925 international student levy
Yorkshire universities are set to be some of the hardest hit by a new £925 charge for international students that Rachel Reeves confirmed in the Budget.
The Department for Education (DfE) is consulting on bringing in a flat fee per international student per year from 2028/29, to be increased with inflation going forward.
However, northern universities, politicians and business leaders have said this will hammer regional economies, with Leeds Central and Headingley and Sheffield Central the two worst constituencies impacted.
Henri Murison, chief executive of The Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “This tax will cause serious damage to the UK’s growth prospects.
“International students are not just numbers, they create jobs, support local businesses, and drive innovation across the country.”
Alex Sobel, the Labour MP for Leeds Central and Headingley added: “I’m disappointed that the Government has chosen to press ahead with a levy on international student fees.
“In constituencies like mine, universities are major economic drivers, supporting jobs, skills and world-leading research, and this tax risks undermining that foundation at the worst possible time.
“International education is a competitive global market, and the UK cannot take demand for granted, with many already stretching their finances to study here, and often choosing the UK over other destinations by the smallest of margins.”
Universities would not be charged the levy on their first 220 international students, the DfE said, to protect the smallest higher education providers.
University Alliance chief executive Vanessa Wilson warned that despite the allowances, the proposed £925 flat fee “will hit our universities hard”.