Brace for a surge of silly freshers as more students are expected to land first choice unis

Prepare for an invasion of silly freshers as more A-Level students awaiting their results this week will get into their first choice universities than previous years.

A government clampdown on sponsored study visas for international students means that more UK freshers will be snapping up seats in the library come September.

The number of international students receiving these visas fell by 31,000 to just 447,000 in the year to March compared to the same period last year.

The Office for Students has said that 40 per cent of British universities are expected to run a budget deficit this year, and also warned in May that increasing pressures on the sector could result in institutions closing down.

This comes after leading universities had been overly cautious in issuing offers after they were forced to enrol thousands more students than usual due to the inflation of grades in 2020.

In 2021, teacher assessed grades were used for A-Level results. More than 44 per cent of students received either A or A* grades that year, almost twice as many as before the pandemic. National A-Level grades were similarly high the following year in 2022 with grade boundaries being lowered, but then fell sharply in 2023 as grading returned to normal.

The University and Colleges Union told the I that the university funding system was “broken” and “unstable.” Despite the potential for job losses, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has ruled out any government bailouts.

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Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, said changes to the immigration system have contributed to falling international student numbers.

She said: “The previous government made international students and staff feel very unwelcome, and many were forced to leave family members behind to even come to study or work here.”

The University of Glasgow relies the most on international students out of any British university, taking 81 per cent of its tuition fees from those coming to study from abroad.

As a result, A-Level students’ fortunes on results day have fluctuated more in previous years than they ever have.

So with more first choice uni spots available to UK students this year, you can guarantee there’s no escaping the silly fresh all over campus come term time.

For more like this explainer on more first choice uni spots for UK students and all the latest news, drops, quizzes and memes, like The Tab on Facebook. 

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