Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of falling international student numbers on the financial sustainability of the UK university sector.

The Higher Education Council for Funding in England (HEFCE) reports that the higher education sector was in sound financial health in 2014/15. In the same academic year, overseas fee income accounted for nearly 13% of total sector income on average.

International students make an important economic and cultural contribution to the UK. The UK has, and will continue to have, a world class education system that attracts students from across the world.

The latest report, entitled ‘Financial Health of the higher education sector: 2015-16 to 2018-19 forecasts’ can be found on HEFCE’s website at:

http://www.hefce.ac.uk/media/HEFCE,2014/Content/Pubs/2016/201634/HEFCE2016_34.pdf