WHY UK UNIVERSITIES REMAIN A GREAT FIT FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN 2021
Welcoming more than 452,079 international students from all around the globe, the UK universities remain the most visited destination for international students annually for pursuing high academics. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has deteriorated the count of incoming international students by 1.6% in 2020, the UK government is sparing no effort to boost up the post-COVID international student statistics, thus transforming the UK as the most suitable destination for envisioning high studies.
Protocols Undertaken by The UK Government to Support University Graduates
The economic fallout of the UK industries has impacted the employment rates of the nation. The pandemic outbreak has scooped down the employment rates for the mid and low-skilled workers by 27% and 37% respectively. Thus, while the employment rates of the full-time education graduates deteriorate by 13%, the UK government collaborated with the local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) and Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) to support those 100,000 graduates from the class of 2020, thereby ensuring that a couple of protocols are being followed by the upcoming generation of the graduates as well.
The universities reached out to the UK government, who, in-turn, called all well-established businesses with decent funding to set up internship and job opportunities for the students and recent graduates. This is definitely good news for those who were worried about making ends meet after completing their education. Secondly, there’s now an interest break on the Postgraduate Master’s Loan to encourage students from poorer backgrounds to consider postgraduate studies. The government of the UK had announced £20 million in December 2020 that would go towards the student hardship fund. This amount increased to £70 million later after the Vice Chancellor’s office urged the government to look into the plight of international students buried under student loans. Earlier in 2020, the Department of Education confirmed that the students falling under the Plan 1 Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) student loan will have to pay an interest rate of 1.1% instead of 1.75%. There are talks of even more tax revisions to provide some respite to the students.
Furthermore, the government, together with the universities, have made it possible for students to take up online courses that will help them improve their skills, and have had education counsellors provide guidance to the students on the current job opportunities in their fields and how they can improve their skills to become more employable. This change will assist in implementing growth in modular learning opportunities that will, in-turn, help the graduates meet the immediate requirements of the UK industry. Also, the government has collaborated with Universities UK to generate funds for the Graduate 2020 program in order to target the needs of local businesses and work towards economic recovery planning. Together, the local businesses and the student hardships can begin to get better.
Finally, in more positive news, the flexibility in UK visas and the “Graduate Route Scheme” have allowed up to three years of extension of post-study work visas for Ph.D. students, thereby allowing the international students a great opportunity to set foot into the UK markets after completing their degree. Earlier, students could stay in the country for the duration of their education course and an additional 4 months post course completion. This new change in the student visa rules will greatly help students as they will have more time to explore work opportunities.
Moving Forward
With all these measures in place, the UK government is constantly letting students know that they can approach the special support service that has been set up at all universities to help students with the correct information and guidance. The UK is safeguarding the stay of the international students in the country by entitling them to quicker access of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine. UK education is an investment that will provide you with life-long returns. Even though the COVID-19 outbreak has halted the process, the existence of affluent teaching facilities, vibrant cultures, and the presence of esteemed institutions are something the international students still look forward to.
