Value-for-money ratings for university degrees hit 13-year high
Steep rise in UK students’ happiness with programmes despite job cuts, fee rises and negativity over student loans.
Students are coping better because the system is demanding less
Signs of genuine recovery in student experience appear in this year's Student Academic Experience Survey. Jim Dickinson argues the data tells a more constrained story – one where value, expectations and withdrawal form a single gradient, and money sits at its root.
Low expectations aren’t the same as high satisfaction in student housing
With OfS leading on headline satisfaction scores, Jim Dickinson reads an underlying research report on student housing – and finds a regulator that has mistaken tolerance for quality.
Warwick and Reading rebrand foundation and language provision as Global Academies
The University of Warwick and the University of Reading have both rebranded their language and foundation studies operations as Global Academies, reflecting a wider rethink of how universities support international students and where those functions sit within institutions.
Students spend thousands on university. So why don’t they bother attending lectures?
Like many universities, the London School of Economics (LSE) has an attendance policy which “requires” undergraduates to attend all in-person classes.
AI can help providers read and act on the student feedback they never usually get to
Thousands of open-text survey comments go unread every cycle. Daniel Robson and Helena Lim argue that AI can help universities hear what students are actually saying, and act before the next survey closes.
New guide to improve information sharing for disabled students across higher education
Disabled Student Commitment: Information Sharing Best Practice Guide published to support higher education providers in strengthening how they share information about disabled students.
Cambridge more expensive than Ivy League for foreign medical students
Cambridge and other leading UK universities are now more expensive than Ivy League colleges for foreign medical students.
Beyond volume: what HEPI’s report on demographic decline means for international student recruitment strategy
The recent Higher Education Policy Institute report number 201 by Bahram Bekhradnia on demographic decline and ‘predatory recruitment’ in English higher education deserves close attention well beyond the domestic undergraduate market.
Universities face international student ban if visa abuse is suspected
Universities will be stripped of the right to recruit international students if too many drop out from their courses over fears they are being exploited for visa abuse.
New HEPI Policy Note ‘A breed apart? What do young undergraduates think of controversial and divisive issues?’
A new HEPI Policy Note offers a fascinating insight into what today’s undergraduates think about some of the most controversial and divisive issues facing society.
Russell Group urges targeted action on study visa fraud to protect and support genuine students
Following government’s confirmation of tighter compliance measures, the Russell Group has published new recommendations to reinforce confidence in the student visa system.
Brand new dental school places in 'dental deserts'
Patients in so-called ‘dental deserts’ will benefit from the first sustained expansion of dental school places in nearly 20 years, with 50 extra dentists to be trained in the regions that need them most from 2027 onwards.
Students aren’t ‘woke’ on many controversial issues, poll finds
Undergraduates’ opinions broadly in line with wider population on topics including artificial intelligence, capital punishment and Israel-Gaza war.
Almost half of British students back return of death penalty, bombshell survey finds
Almost half of British students back return of death penalty, bombshell survey has found.
Earning while learning? You’ll be lucky
The Employment Rights Act 2025 promises to end one-sided flexibility – but Jim Dickinson finds the framework hasn't reckoned with term-time working, seasonal employment, or the structural realities of student labour.
The value in the thank you
Students acknowledge those who have helped them within their dissertation - and the growth they themselves have experienced.
UK universities flying blind as visa refusals force admissions rethink
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.
Rising travel costs add to uncertainty ahead of September student arrivals
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.
Home Office issues amendment after The PIE reports on BCA blind spot
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.