The department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of the cost of student visas on the finances of UK universities. However, the government continues to monitor the financial sustainability of the higher education (HE) sector and works closely with the Office for Students (OfS), to understand risks and pressures facing providers.

The OfS, as independent regulator of English HE providers, has statutory duties in relation to the financial sustainability of the sector. The government has a clear interest in understanding the level of risk across the sector and continues to work closely with the OfS to understand the sector’s changing financial landscape.

We increased tuition fee caps in line with inflation in 2025/26 and are also increasing tuition fee caps in line with forecast inflation in 2026/27 and 2027/28 and will legislate to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years. Over the next five years, these uplifts could generate around £6 billion extra income for the sector.

HE providers are independent from government and as such must continue to make the necessary and appropriate decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability.

More broadly, the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper sets out the government’s commitment to placing the sector on a more sustainable footing, supporting providers to drive efficiency, strengthen financial resilience, and adopt more effective operating models.

This government has taken a different stand on international students and we have spoken clearly about it. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has set out that we welcome international students who make a positive impact on the UK’s HE sector and our economy and society as a whole. The UK has a world class higher education sector with 4 universities in the top 10 and 17 in the top 100, alongside a wide array of high-quality institutions which can offer a fulfilling and enjoyable experience to international students from around the world.

The Immigration White Paper confirmed that we will retain the graduate visa but reduce its duration from 2 years to 18 months. This will maintain our competitive post-study offer whilst ensuring individuals on this route obtain employment in graduate level roles and contribute to the country’s skills needs more quickly.

Plan 2 student loans were first made available to undergraduate students in 2012. These loans did not enter repayment until 2016, at which point the £21,000 repayment threshold was applied to Plan 2 loans.

Since this government has been in power, we have increased the repayment threshold for Plan 2 loans to £28,470 in April 2025, its first increase since 2021, and we increased it again on 6 April this year to £29,385.

I can confirm that responses have been submitted to the hon. Member for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston to the questions referenced.

The attached table provides the total value of loans issued, by nationality of recipient, for the 2020/21 to 2024/25 academic years.

Eligibility for student finance is not based on nationality, but on immigration status and residency, ensuring that access to support reflects an individual’s established connection to the UK, rather than their nationality in isolation. To be eligible, a student must ordinarily be a resident in England and be settled or have a recognised connection with the UK. Students must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and/or the British Overseas Territories) for the three years prior to the first day of the first academic year of their course. Some individuals are exempt from these requirements. For example, those with Refugee Status do not have to meet the standard settlement and residency criteria.

The nationality of all borrowers is checked and validated during the application process. Records listed as ‘unknown’ (in a very small number of mainly postgraduate borrower records) reflect legacy data quality issues in this field, which are being addressed by the Student Loans Company (SLC) and the department. This is a live management information dataset which is not static, and data can be updated over time as SLC update their records and re-categorise data.

The attached table provides repayment rates for loans due for repayment for the 2020/21 to 2024/25 financial years. The repayment rate was calculated as the percentage of borrowers whose loan has passed its Statutory Repayment Due Date (SRDD, normally the April after the end of the course) and have made a payment in the financial year out of all borrowers whose loan has passed its SRDD. Although borrowers become liable for repayment from the SRDD, repayments are only due where earnings exceed the relevant threshold. Borrowers who remain below this threshold, or experience fluctuating incomes, are not required to make repayments on a continuous basis. Additionally, periods of further study, unemployment, or other life events may reduce earnings below the threshold, resulting in no repayments being collected despite being past the SRDD.

Eligibility for student finance is not based on nationality, but on immigration status and residency, ensuring that access to support reflects an individual’s established connection to the UK, rather than their nationality in isolation. To be eligible, a student must be ordinarily resident in England and be settled or have a recognised connection with the UK. Students must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and/or the British Overseas Territories) for the three years prior to the first day of the first academic year of their course. Some individuals are exempt from these requirements. For example, those with Refugee Status do not have to meet the standard settlement and residency criteria.

The nationality of all borrowers is checked and validated during the application process. Records listed as ‘unknown’ (in a very small number of mainly postgraduate borrower records) reflect legacy data quality issues in this field, which are being addressed by the Student Loans Company (SLC) and the department. This is a live management information dataset which is not static, and data can be updated over time as SLC update their records and re-categorise data.

The attached table provides the number of non-UK nationals who received a first loan for the 2020/21 to 2024/25 academic years, by loan type and nationality.

Eligibility for student finance is not based on nationality, but on immigration status and residency, ensuring that access to support reflects an individual’s established connection to the UK, rather than their nationality in isolation. To be eligible, a student must ordinarily be a resident in England and be settled or have a recognised connection with the UK. Students must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and/or the British Overseas Territories) for the three years prior to the first day of the first academic year of their course. Some individuals are exempt from these requirements. For example, those with Refugee Status do not have to meet the standard settlement and residency criteria.

The nationality of all borrowers is checked and validated during the application process. Records listed as ‘unknown’ (in a very small number of mainly postgraduate borrower records) reflect legacy data quality issues in this field, which are being addressed by the Student Loans Company (SLC) and the department. This is a live management information dataset which is not static, and data can be updated over time as SLC update their records and re-categorise data.

The data for the 2020/21 to 2024/25 academic years has previously been published in the attached file.

The department and the Student Loans Company (SLC) have recently strengthened the quality and consistency of their data and now hold robust information on current borrowers’ UK national status and nationality. However, due to GDPR requirements, records are not retained indefinitely. Borrowers whose loans were fully repaid or written off more than six years ago are removed from SLC systems.

As a result, the department does not hold a complete dataset with robust and consistent nationality information over this 20-year time-period. Figures on the number of borrowers by academic year and nationality across the full time series will therefore not fully reflect historical trends in nationality of borrowers.

The data for the 2020/21 to 2024/24 academic years has previously been published in the attached file.

The department and the Student Loans Company (SLC) have recently strengthened the quality and consistency of their data and now hold robust information on current borrowers’ UK national status and nationality. However, due to GDPR requirements, records are not retained indefinitely. Borrowers whose loans were fully repaid or written off more than six years ago are removed from SLC systems.

As a result, the department does not hold a complete dataset with robust and consistent nationality information over this 20-year time-period. Figures on the number of borrowers by academic year and nationality across the full-time series will therefore not fully reflect historical trends in nationality of borrowers.

The attached table shows the number of overseas borrowers currently classified as non-compliant by the Student Loans Company (SLC), broken down by the academic year of their first student loan and their nationality.

The population includes all borrowers issued loans by Student Finance England from 2005 to 2024 which are now due for repayment and have an outstanding balance. Borrowers are included if they have any loan which is now liable to repay, they are known to be overseas and they have either defaulted in arrears or been placed in arrears as they have not provided details of their income to SLC. For borrowers in arrears, the SLC may use a debt collection agency to pursue them. Each borrower is listed only once against the year of their first student loan.

Local authorities already have statutory duties to identify, track and support young people, including those not in education, employment or training (NEET). They collect characteristic data such as sex, ethnicity, special educational needs and young carer status.

We are implementing measures to reduce the number of young people who become NEET, building on the existing guarantee of a post-16 education place. This includes working with local authorities, strategic authorities, schools and further education (FE) providers to improve the identification, tracking and sharing of information on young people, while strengthening local oversight and accountability.

To support earlier intervention, we are investing in better data sharing, introducing new Risk of NEET indicator tools, and enhancing attendance monitoring in FE settings. These measures are intended to help identify at-risk young people sooner and provide timely support.

In instances where the Student Loan Company’s (SLC) internal appeals and complaints process has been exhausted, borrowers may appeal to the Independent Assessors (IA). IAs are appointed by ministers to review any appeals and complaints made against the SLC and their independence from the SLC provides assurance that the process to consider complaints and appeals is sufficiently rigorous.

In cases where an outstanding balance is identified after a borrower believes they have settled their account in full, regulations provide the SLC with the ability to restart repayments where appropriate. Any action taken will be subject to the circumstances of the individual case and relevant policy considerations.

The government is clear that antisemitic abuse has no place on campuses. The Office for Students’ E6 condition of registration requires university providers to have policies, reporting procedures, support arrangements and preventative measures in place to address harassment.

The department is working closely with higher education (HE) providers and the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) to strengthen support for Jewish students. The department has funded UJS training for university staff to improve understanding of antisemitism and support effective responses to incidents on campus. In addition, a department funded scholarship programme, delivered by Palace Yard and launching nationally this autumn, will develop HE provider staff expertise in tackling antisemitism.

The department will shortly publish new guidance on managing external speakers and events to support providers in assessing and mitigating Prevent-related risks.

HE providers continue to be encouraged to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition as a practical tool for identifying and addressing antisemitic behaviour.

For the 2025/26 academic year, a total of £7.1 million has been allocated to five academies within the Gillingham and Rainham constituency, for the education of 16 to 19 students. This figure will increase to £7.9 million for the 2026/27 academic year, and includes funding for an additional academy, with new 16 to 19 provision.

In the 2025/26 academic year, of the funds allocated to further education institutions delivering within the Medway Local Authority area, we have released around £10 million for learners resident within Gillingham and Rainham constituency.

The government is seeking to improve qualification levels and employment outcomes for young people through reforms to post‑16 education and skills.

These include expanding technical and vocational education, strengthening apprenticeships and higher‑level technical training, and creating clearer pathways into skilled employment.

The number of publicly funded adult education classes is not held by the department.

The number of adult learners undertaking education and training learning in England is published in the Further education and skills accredited official statistics publication, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-and-skills/2025-26. Whilst there is a requirement for how many hours of learning that must be given to each learner, it is up to the individual providers how many ‘classes’ they run.

This response has been coordinated by the department in collaboration with the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Criteria for 2026 support are still being finalised and will be published in a policy statement in due course.

In 2025, eligible students secured a range of fully funded scholarships to study at UK universities. Standard departure costs, including flights, accommodation and insurance, were met through a combination of scholarship and university funding.

Additionally, Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding may be used to support transport costs associated with the initial journey from Gaza. The proportion of costs met through ODA funding for the 2026 cohort will depend on the number of students travelling.

No separate estimate of costs has been made. Unit costs for visa applications are published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data.

The number of students supported will depend on operational considerations, and is highly dependent on factors outside the UK government’s control. In 2025, the government supported more than 100 fully funded scholarship students to arrive and study in the UK.

Students come to the UK on standard student visas, which allow them to stay for the duration of their course and a short period afterwards. Any further stay in the UK would be subject to the Immigration Rules.

This response has been coordinated by the department in collaboration with the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Criteria for 2026 support are still being finalised and will be published in a policy statement in due course.

In 2025, eligible students secured a range of fully funded scholarships to study at UK universities. Standard departure costs, including flights, accommodation and insurance, were met through a combination of scholarship and university funding.

Additionally, Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding may be used to support transport costs associated with the initial journey from Gaza. The proportion of costs met through ODA funding for the 2026 cohort will depend on the number of students travelling.

No separate estimate of costs has been made. Unit costs for visa applications are published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data.

The number of students supported will depend on operational considerations, and is highly dependent on factors outside the UK government’s control. In 2025, the government supported more than 100 fully funded scholarship students to arrive and study in the UK.

Students come to the UK on standard student visas, which allow them to stay for the duration of their course and a short period afterwards. Any further stay in the UK would be subject to the Immigration Rules.

This response has been coordinated by the department in collaboration with the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Criteria for 2026 support are still being finalised and will be published in a policy statement in due course.

In 2025, eligible students secured a range of fully funded scholarships to study at UK universities. Standard departure costs, including flights, accommodation and insurance, were met through a combination of scholarship and university funding.

Additionally, Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding may be used to support transport costs associated with the initial journey from Gaza. The proportion of costs met through ODA funding for the 2026 cohort will depend on the number of students travelling.

No separate estimate of costs has been made. Unit costs for visa applications are published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data.

The number of students supported will depend on operational considerations, and is highly dependent on factors outside the UK government’s control. In 2025, the government supported more than 100 fully funded scholarship students to arrive and study in the UK.

Students come to the UK on standard student visas, which allow them to stay for the duration of their course and a short period afterwards. Any further stay in the UK would be subject to the Immigration Rules.

This response has been coordinated by the department in collaboration with the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Criteria for 2026 support are still being finalised and will be published in a policy statement in due course.

In 2025, eligible students secured a range of fully funded scholarships to study at UK universities. Standard departure costs, including flights, accommodation and insurance, were met through a combination of scholarship and university funding.

Additionally, Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding may be used to support transport costs associated with the initial journey from Gaza. The proportion of costs met through ODA funding for the 2026 cohort will depend on the number of students travelling.

No separate estimate of costs has been made. Unit costs for visa applications are published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data.

The number of students supported will depend on operational considerations, and is highly dependent on factors outside the UK government’s control. In 2025, the government supported more than 100 fully funded scholarship students to arrive and study in the UK.

Students come to the UK on standard student visas, which allow them to stay for the duration of their course and a short period afterwards. Any further stay in the UK would be subject to the Immigration Rules.

This response has been coordinated by the department in collaboration with the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Criteria for 2026 support are still being finalised and will be published in a policy statement in due course.

In 2025, eligible students secured a range of fully funded scholarships to study at UK universities. Standard departure costs, including flights, accommodation and insurance, were met through a combination of scholarship and university funding.

Additionally, Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding may be used to support transport costs associated with the initial journey from Gaza. The proportion of costs met through ODA funding for the 2026 cohort will depend on the number of students travelling.

No separate estimate of costs has been made. Unit costs for visa applications are published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data.

The number of students supported will depend on operational considerations, and is highly dependent on factors outside the UK government’s control. In 2025, the government supported more than 100 fully funded scholarship students to arrive and study in the UK.

Students come to the UK on standard student visas, which allow them to stay for the duration of their course and a short period afterwards. Any further stay in the UK would be subject to the Immigration Rules.

This response has been coordinated by the department in collaboration with the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Criteria for 2026 support are still being finalised and will be published in a policy statement in due course.

In 2025, eligible students secured a range of fully funded scholarships to study at UK universities. Standard departure costs, including flights, accommodation and insurance, were met through a combination of scholarship and university funding.

Additionally, Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding may be used to support transport costs associated with the initial journey from Gaza. The proportion of costs met through ODA funding for the 2026 cohort will depend on the number of students travelling.

No separate estimate of costs has been made. Unit costs for visa applications are published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data.

The number of students supported will depend on operational considerations, and is highly dependent on factors outside the UK government’s control. In 2025, the government supported more than 100 fully funded scholarship students to arrive and study in the UK.

Students come to the UK on standard student visas, which allow them to stay for the duration of their course and a short period afterwards. Any further stay in the UK would be subject to the Immigration Rules.