International student levy could cost English universities £600m a year

The government says its proposed 6% surcharge on overseas students’ tuition fees would help fund ‘the higher education and skills system’. Photograph: David Cheskin/PA

The government’s proposed levy on international student fees could cost universities in England more than £600m a year if it goes ahead, a study has found.

The 6% surcharge on tuition fees paid by overseas students, floated in the Home Office’s recent immigration white paper, would particularly hit leading universities such as University College London (UCL) and the University of Manchester, based on the figures compiled by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi).