A report by Universities UK (UUK), which represents the vice chancellors of all the country's universities, has predicted that university student numbers will decrease by 70,000 by the year 2019. This comes as a result of a decrease in the birth rate in the UK, but it is predicted that the number of students will reach current levels again by 2027. It is expected that universities will have to try and make up the numbers by taking in more international students and mature students. However, predicted improvements in universities in places such as India and China may lead to a long term decrease in the number of international students.
Furthermore, the government has announced that £10million in scholarships schemes for international students is being cut. Currently, 1,500 international students are funded by the scholarships. In the past, many scholarship students have gone on to be leaders in their own countries, whilst retaining a good relationship with the UK. It has been announced that more Indian and Chinese students will be recruited for the remaining scholarships as they are "going to be most important to our foreign policy success over coming years", according to Foreign Secretary David Miliband.
In the meantime, the government has announced plans to build up to 20 new university campuses in towns around the UK. The plans hope to regenerate towns hit by unemployment, as well as trying to make a degree more accessible to people. It is undecided if the new campuses will be stand alone universities, or a branch of existing ones. The plans come at a time when the government is struggling to meet its targets of getting poorer students into further education. It is felt that regional campuses will allow more students to study at university whilst still living at their parents home. Sceptics of the plan say that they could dilute the academic the standard of university education, and that the government has slashed £100million from schemes that help adults re-enter education after a period of work.
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