Tories to crack down on UK visas for foreign students

The Tories are set to clampdown on UK visas for foreign students, particularly those from Afghanistan and Pakistan. The proposal, put forward by Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Grayling, aims to offset what the Conservatives describe as “the weakest link in Britain’s border controls.”

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70% of European tuition fee loans are unpaid

A BBC news report has revealed that 70% of the tuition fee loans due to be paid back in 2008 by European students have remained entirely unpaid. Far from fulfilling the xenophobic notion of mass foreign dishonesty, the report rather demonstrates the gross inability of the government-owned Student Loans company (SLC) to recoup loans from outside the United Kingdom.
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International students help foreign language learning in local schools

In an innovative scheme, three secondary schools in Brighton are hiring foreign students from the University of Sussex to help with language teaching. So far, the program has had positive effects on language learning in Brighton, and it is hoped that it will catch on in other schools across Britain. Read more

Your new Sabbatical team and their promises

Democratic involvement with your union shouldn’t stop with the elections. Here we publish the manifestos of your newly elected representatives so you can hold them to account. Over the summer they’ll move into their new offices in Falmer house, so if they aren’t living up to their promises you know where to find them. Read more

Fall in UK student numbers for first time in recent history

Controversy followed the publication of figures by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) as numbers at British Universities are down by 1%, falling from 1,978,715 in 2007/8 to 1.96 million Higher Education (HE) enrolments in 2008/9. This is despite a 2% increase in full time students and a 5% rise in international students on last year. Read more

Poor students at Sussex twice as likely to drop out, says research

The University of Sussex is failing to keep its students who apply through ‘Access schemes’, new figures reveal. The figures, quoted in national newspaper The Sunday Times, show that students who apply through ‘access’ schemes are twice as likely to dropout as those who don’t apply through the schemes. While overall 10.3% of students at Sussex give up their degrees before completion, this rises to 15.8% among those who had entered through “access” programmes. The article named Sussex as particularly bad at keeping students from non-traditional backgrounds. In an interview with The Badger the University also said that despite its commitment to widening participation at Sussex, as yet there are no plans to expand its ‘access’ schemes, which have actually contracted slightly in recent years.
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University responds to international ID card scheme

Starting this November, the UK Border Agency began issuing the new national ID card to non-EU students and marriage visa holders. This has been described by some critics as a “softening up” procedure for the introduction of ID cards for every UK resident. By next April, the Border Agency hopes to have 50,000 cards issued. Planning for the implementation process started in early 2007. Read more

You’re Hired!- Employment FAQ’s

Part time work is now a financial necessity for most students during their studies – NUS research has shown that 90% of students work during holidays and between 40-70% during term time. What are your rights as a part time worker? Read more

Foreign film favourites

Foreign-language films seem to come with an expectation to be arty and abstract, but in fact they’re found in all styles and subjects, much like the American and British films we’re all familiar with. One of the best things you can do if you’re planning to travel abroad, or just need to find out about another country’s culture for an essay, is to get acquainted with their film industry. You not only get a taste of that country’s way of life, but also an idea of what passes for popular culture there, and perhaps even some suggestions of where to go on your next holiday!
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UK universities may lose international students to US after Obama election

UK universities have been warned to expect a significant decrease in the number of international students applying to study in the country due, in part, to the recent historic election of Barrack Obama. Read more

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