The source is someone I know who works in admissions. They operate the 135 rule. It’s a real concern that the grades required for admission are awarded - what then? It’s also a massive concern that many universities need overseas students or they face bankruptcy - so first choices see a situation where all uk students are offered the grades - then it’s oversubscribed by an enormous amount and the second choice preference is ignored and starts begging for places. It’s a nightmare for them
Yes and no.
I’m hearing that universities are, as of today, already offering unconditional offers (and confirming firmed places) based on predicted grades that just meet their requirements when over the past few years unconditional offers have been made on students who are predicted grades that exceed requirements.
On the whole today’s news is good news as it should mean that September intakes will go ahead when there was a growing concerning that they would need to be shifted to January.
A LOT of universities are teetering anyway (and there are some big names being banded about) due to the costs related to the OFS, the lower demographic of UK 18 year olds and Brexit which will mean a massive drop in EU numbers but the reintroduction of the post study work visa is a massive life line.
At this stage we don’t know the effects that corona will have but currently the lights are on and burning brightly for international students coming into the UK and pretty much every uni is seeing the benefit of this, however, you only have to listen to the (excellent) speech that the Warwick VC released yesterday that this could potentially cost them 30mil and that’s Warwick. You have to worry the effect it will have on the smaller, modern and less international universities in the UK.
Cov will be affected no doubt but they are one of the biggest recruiters of international students in the UK so should ride this storm but there will definitely be bumps in the road ahead.
