The United Kingdom plans to impose an annual levy of £925 (approximately $1,200) on higher education institutions in England for every international student enrolled from Nigeria and other countries, including India and China. The measure takes effect in August 2028.
The charge is intended to fund maintenance grants for disadvantaged domestic students. Under the provision, the levy applies for an academic year to a registered higher education provider in respect of international students registered on a higher education course. The amount is set at £925 per student. Students who enrolled in earlier academic years will become liable once they reach the anniversary of their initial registration, creating a recurring obligation for continuing students rather than a one-off charge on new entrants.
Government projections estimate the levy will raise £445 million in 2028/29, £465 million in 2029/30 and £480 million in 2030/31. Those figures were based on assumptions of relatively stable international recruitment.
The grants would target students from households earning up to £30,000 a year. Eligible students would receive up to £1,000 annually during their first two years and £750 annually in subsequent years, with priority for courses aligned to the government's industrial strategy, including engineering and healthcare.
Home Office statistics for the year ending June 2026 show China, India and Nigeria were the three largest nationalities receiving sponsored study visas, accounting for about 54% of visas granted to main applicants. The National Union of Students and the Russell Group have raised concerns about the funding arrangement.
The policy sits alongside tighter immigration rules. Sponsored student visa refusals increased from roughly 5,300 to 8,400 in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. In June 2025, the maximum permitted student visa refusal rate for university sponsors was cut from 10% to 5%. Since January 2024, most international students have been barred from bringing dependants, and in March 2026 restrictions were introduced for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan. Universities have reportedly begun withdrawing admission offers from some international applicants to stay within the refusal threshold and protect their sponsorship licences.
