Policies Would Seek to Prevent Illegal Work and Enhance Monitoring of International Students
The UK government has introduced new measures to tackle student visa abuse, aiming to protect the integrity of the immigration system while ensuring that genuine international students can benefit from the UK’s world-class education. These measures come in response to growing concerns about the exploitation of the student visa route by those seeking to work illegally in the country.
The new measures would include stricter checks on student visa applications, enhanced monitoring of students once they arrive, and increased penalties for educational institutions that fail to comply with their sponsorship duties. The Home Office announced it will be working closely with education providers to ensure the system remains robust and fair. For example, there will be more rigorous vetting of the financial requirements for visa applicants, ensuring that students have the means to support themselves without needing to engage in unauthorized work.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan emphasized the importance of maintaining the UK’s reputation as a premier destination for international students, saying: “We must go further to make sure our immigration routes aren’t abused. That’s why we are cracking down on rogue international agents and, building on work across government, to ensure international students are coming here to study, not work.”
The Link Between Retention and Revenue
Every UK university should be paying attention to this important development. Why? Because retention and completion rates will drive more and more of each institution’s revenue in the future, as overseeing agencies look to link university funding to the outcomes of their students.
As noted by the Office for Students in its Fall 2023 Annual Review, the university continuation rate—the percentage of college entrants who are still enrolled one year later—has been declining in recent years. If this trend continues, institutions may see a drop in net tuition revenue; if government funding becomes tied to success rates, revenue growth at many institutions may be further stymied.
Better Data Models, Better Outcomes
As a result, many institutions are now looking to understand in greater depth the factors that influence students’ decisions to remain in higher education or choose another path. While traditional data models have focused on predicting who the “at-risk” students are in an incoming class, this approach may not be as effective as more targeted strategies. Today, successful universities are adopting prescriptive modeling approaches, using AI and machine learning to focus on factors that would improve an individual student’s likelihood of remaining at an institution.
Now more than ever, higher education institutions must adopt such advanced tools and technologies to better manage student success and retention. Liaison Othot, the leading provider of cutting-edge AI predictive and prescriptive modeling tools designed to enhance student outcomes, can help universities ensure compliance with new regulations as well as foster the success of new institutional recruitment and retention initiatives.
Visit Othot’s website to learn how these innovative solutions can help your institution thrive in today’s evolving educational landscape—regardless of what the future may hold.