Redundancies continue to sweep the UK higher education sector as mounting financial pressures force universities to implement cost-cutting measures.

University leaders in the UK have warned that institutions are increasingly making high-stakes admissions and compliance decisions without enough shared data, as visa refusals, rising student costs and recruitment pressures reshape international recruitment strategies.

Institutions are preparing for rising airfares and potential travel disruption ahead of key student intakes, while students and families navigate visa delays and broader affordability pressures.

The Home Office has published an amendment to the student sponsor compliance policy, clarifying that only visa refusal decisions that are successfully overturned by administrative review will be exempt from BCA calculations.

The University of Manchester has launched an investigation after about 20 female medical students complained of receiving anonymous phone calls in the middle of the night from male callers who intimidated and sexually harassed them.

Almost 500 people have taken voluntary severance at Edinburgh University since managers first announced cost-cutting plans in August 2024.