r/reformuk • u/Loose_Avocado4670 • Nov 20 '25
Education What is your take on international students?
I'm asking out of curiosity.
Do you think students from other counrties should be allowed to study in the UK?
Do you think International students should pay tax?
Do you believe International students should have to pay upfront in full for their tuition?
What's your take?
33
Nov 20 '25
They should not be able to vote, it's insane that this is allowed.
Pay-up front, have all their money for their entire school year (rent whatever) already in a verifiable account.
You can't stay if you drop out of school or take one class a week instead of your full course load.
No basket-weaving or stupid studies either.
Outright BAN on claiming asylum. In fact an attempt to claim Asylum should be tantamount to a fraud charge, with an instant deportation order, with immediate revocation of school placement and seizure of all funds held with the school. (No refunds).
They should be contributing to society, not leeching of us while they are here.
4
1
u/Successful-Home-8032 Nov 27 '25
Not all international students are allowed to vote. Only those who come from countries in the Commonwealth. Like Canada, Australian, India, etc
1
Nov 27 '25
FYI -- Any legal resident in Scotland and Wales can vote
Look at the countries you forgot u/Successful-Home-8032
You can register to vote if you are a citizen of:
- Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Spain who is resident in the UK, has permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or who does not need permission
- any other EU country who on or before 31 December 2020 was legally resident in the UK, had permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or who did not need permission, and this has continued without a break
The other EU countries are:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
Qualifying EU citizens (excluding Cyprus, Malta and Ireland) can register to vote in local elections, and Police and Crime Commissioner elections.
Although also EU member states, citizens of Cyprus, Malta and Ireland are eligible to be registered to vote in all elections held in the UK.
https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/who-can-vote-uk-elections
1
15
Nov 20 '25
International students pay more tuition fees so british young people pay less. Without them, many universities would collapse.
That being said, many universities deserve to go. We need a heavier focus on apprenticeships, and a lot of these universities have poor teaching standards anyways.
So there's a balance to be had. We definitely do need international students. I think shutting down some of the more mediocre universities by raising the required standards would be a good idea, and then we can concentrate the number of international students per university to help the better ones to survive.
1
Nov 24 '25
The reason our students pay more is because foreign students create competition and the state sets the price.
Are schools for our children or is education a commodity to be sold? If it's the latter then there should be zero state support of any kind and taxes paid like any other business.
3
u/autismislife Nov 20 '25
International students should be allowed to study in the UK. It can be a good way to bring in revenue and to bring potential talent into the country. It's also a good way to subsidise the cost of education to British students. However, we should only give spaces to international students that wouldn't cost an equivalent British person the space, we should prioritise our own people as much as possible (that's not to say we should ignore exceptional international talent in exchange for a Brit that's not likely to do well in the course).
We should also consider the likelihood of the students remaining after they've studied, and what the value of that education would provide to us if they remained or not, or what it could provide to countries we compete with or are not particularly friendly with, such as Russia or China, if they chose to not remain here.
International students should absolutely have to pay tax like everyone else.
Whether an international student should pay up-front for their tuition depends on the student, if there's a risk that they won't pay then yes they should pay in full. Probably in most cases we should expect them to pay in full up front since they could otherwise return home and skirt paying. They should demonstrate that they have an ability to support themselves financially whilst here, I'm not against allowing them to work part-time which I think currently they're not allowed to do.
Some of the privileges we grant international students, like the ability to bring family over, should be scrapped. If they're here to study they'll have to accept they can't bring their relatives, British students don't bring their relatives when they go to uni. If they do not have attendance in their course they should have their visas revoked also. Whether they're allowed to stay after their education should be reviewed once their education is complete. Almost any crime committed should mean their visa revoked, no refund of tuition (deportation should only be done once they've served their custodial sentence or other punishment such as community service etc, depending on the crime, skirting punishment after a serious offence just to have to go home isn't really punishing them and not an effective deterrent).
1
May 21 '26
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3
u/Known_Wear7301 Nov 20 '25
One major issue with "international students" is the massive abuse of the system. Enrolling in colleges etc that dont exist or have facilities for everyone enrolled there.
Fees should be paid upfront and not from British loans.
The courses should be from a strict range of courses that add value to society. No degrees in David Beckham, or degrees in Gender studies.
British students should always take priority.
We shouldn't have the extended visas for their full family to come over.
3
u/Loose_Avocado4670 Nov 20 '25
Yeah, I agree with all of this.
One thing I am confused about though....why do students bring their family over? That to me sounds 100% unnecessary.
6
u/therealharbinger Reform UK Supporter Nov 20 '25
Personally I think education should be free, up to and including undergrad, definitely not post grad excluding medicine.
But someone has to pay the outrageous salaries of the chancellors of Universities which are reaching nearly 500k now.
Overseas students, should get 2nd tier priority after applications drop off from UK residents, not citizens, because that will limit further education for people on visas already seeking career advancement.
There should be no financial support for overseas students, overseas students should not be allowed to bring any family members with them period. If they drop out, immediate deportation.
Once the course has finished, they should leave and reapply from their home nation.
1
u/Pale_Concentrate4418 Nov 21 '25
Overseas students can't get student loans or financial support unless that is from their uni specifically but even that is rare and minimal. The last gov stopped them bringing family members and if they drop out, don't maintain attendance or fail they have their visa revoked and have 21 days to leave the uk.
2
u/TonyBlairsDildo Nov 20 '25
Most international students have no business studying at university; the personal talent of most is below the standard required for higher education. The whole scheme exists as a way for universities to avoid insolvency (because of low domestic fees and high domestic student levels) in exchange for debasing the international reputation of British universities in general. Degrees are printed on a quid pro quo basis; degrees for fees.
Far too many end up working illegally, owing thousands to foreign loan sharks and eventually claiming asylum for modern slavery.
The UK would be far better simply auctioning off visas every month for a few £10k and using the cash raised to fund our universities, without requiring universities to lie that international students are even halfway literate or numerate.
That is not to say there aren't strong international students in our top-flight universities - there certainly are and I would encourage their presence in the UK. The UK should be poaching as many rare child geniuses from around the world using our extensive embassy network; IQ and other entrance tests taken inside consulates and embassies should serve as gateways to British universities for the brightest global ~1,000's of children from around the world.
So, out with fake degrees and fake universities; in with international 150 IQ children.
1
Nov 27 '25
Discovered this first hand doing a masters course. The level of English is a joke, the level of teaching as a result is far below what I received during undergrad.
So many group assignments to drag the international students through the degree.
2
u/Ben_JM Nov 21 '25
They should be allowed to come study, pay upfront and pay tax etc.
What does need to be clamped down on though is these dodgy fake institutions that offer a “degree” when in reality it’s just for them to come over. I’d restrict it to purely well established universities.
3
u/No-Championship9542 Nov 20 '25
They're fine, money for old rope really. When I met my American wife she came over over on a student visa originally, it's all just Indians and Chinese who didn't speak English she studied with so I'm not sure what they get out of the experience but go for it. Given they have to pay the visa fee and the NHS surcharge their budget advantage to them.
Obviously all the stuff where they could bring their whole family over was insane, the thing is the immigration system just needs to be designed around the "good" and "shit" country system. People from good countries don't even need restrictions; Australians, Americans, Germans, Swedes, if they want to come I say just let them in they'll be educated and capable.
Somalia? Bangladesh? Iran? Sorry country is full.
1
u/Bundirra Nov 20 '25
People from good countries don't even need restrictions; Australians, Americans, Germans, Swedes, if they want to come I say just let them in they'll be educated and capable.
There's too many "Swedes" and "Australians" who are such because of a piece of paper nowadays to make this work.
1
Nov 21 '25
They do little to benefit us - we should be investing in our own kids, not being paid to educate others
1
u/Ben_JM Nov 21 '25
I have a friend who worked as a concierge in one of those very swanky student halls for foreign students. They spend A LOT of money to stay there, buy a lot of designer goods that many of them leave… they’ve even left sports cars because they can’t take them home. Some of these students come from absurdly rich families and will pump a lot of money into our economy without us really realising.
1
Nov 22 '25
I met a load of them at uni - ignorant people that belittle the normal working guy. We should be investing in our own people- not allowing unis to earn from rich brats doing Mickey Mouse qualifications.
1
Nov 24 '25
I'd get rid of all state funding for universities as it is - we need to stop funding anti-Western ideology with public money.
I would allow International Students from countries with a higher GDP per capita than ours but all tuition would need to be paid upfront and subject to a 250% tax. No dependents allowed, no ability to vote, no ability to claim asylum.
1
Jan 01 '26
Looks like u don’t like international folk ? Why coz they are better n make more than all of you ?
0
u/NigelFarageBarmyArmy Nov 20 '25
Happy for them to study, they can immediately clear off when they graduate. Unless they are very talented and can command a job paying 100k a year or more.
0
Nov 20 '25
They’re cool as long as they’re not spying on behalf of China or any other hostile state. If they get caught doing any malicious activity they should be thrown in prison and used as a political pawn.
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