The University of York located in the United Kingdom (UK) has lowered its entry grades for foreign students due to financial challenges.
Although the university’s memo indicated that the move was informed by financial constraints, the Vice Chancellor of the institution Charlie Jeffery refuted the claims.
While speaking to different international media outlets including the BBC and the Financial Times, Jeffery stated that the intention was to take a more flexible approach to admissions.
“What we’ve done is authorized our academic departments to take a more flexible approach if applicants fall short of the published grades.
“That’s exactly what we do for our home students every year,” University of York VC explained.
Also Read: What you Should Know About Moving to UK After 2024 Changes
What University of York Move Means
This means that for future admissions, undergraduate applications from foreign students would be approved with grades equivalent to B/B/C at A-Level.
That would imply an easing of the requirements for a number of its courses, which require straight A grades for applicants to be accepted.
Further, the professor explained that the recruitment of foreign students was important because it helped in subsidizing the cost of education for domestic students.
He added that the tuition had been frozen by the government for more than a decade.
“There are really significant pressures on the sector as a whole, as the gap between income and costs for home undergraduate students grows for universities.
Also Read: Japan Announces Paid Scholarships for Kenyans; How to Apply
“There is much greater competition in international student recruitment now and there are other places which offer a high-quality English language education, such as Australia, Canada and the US and it’s tough competition,” he explained.
UK Makes Changes to Immigration Policies
Earlier on December 5, 2023, the United Kingdom (UK) Home Secretary James Cleverly announced changes in the regulations for immigrants from different countries in the world who intended to move to the UK for work or education.
According to Cleverly, the UK government made the changes in regulations to reduce migration levels and stop the abuse of the immigration system.
Although Britain granted 153,000 visas to dependents of sponsored students in 2023, Cleverly stated that changes made in policies would reduce the number to protect the integrity of higher education in the country.
“We expect this change will have a tangible impact on net migration, with around 153,000 visas granted to dependents of sponsored students in the year ending September 2023.
“This, along with the changes announced today, will further protect the integrity and quality of higher education in the UK,” he explained.
