Chinese students reconsider UK degrees as fees rise, visa rules tighten
After she graduated last summer, Aroma Wu quickly realised that if she wanted a career in China's tech industry, she would need to go back to school: her bachelor's degree simply was not enough.
'I saw how competitive it was – most people had a master's,' the 24-year-old said.
To boost her credentials, Wu decided to apply for a graduate programme in the United Kingdom, and she soon received an offer. But within weeks, she was growing worried by news coming out of Britain – and starting to rethink her decision.
In May, the UK government proposed an 'education levy' of about 6 per cent on international students' tuition fees. It also began talking tough on migration, with a new white paper suggesting tighter rules on post-study work visas and permanent residency qualifications.
'It was too much all at once,' Wu said. 'Tuition fees are rising, visas might be cut, and now there's a new tax? I felt overwhelmed.'
Wu, who describes herself as financially cautious, ultimately decided to study in Hong Kong instead. The programme will cost more than 300,000 yuan (US$41,000), but that is still about 100,000 yuan less than what she would have paid to study in the UK, she estimated.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
UK vows due diligence on Chinese embassy in London amid security concerns
The UK government promised to assess any security concerns related to the construction of a Chinese embassy near the City of London, an issue that could potentially complicate trade talks with the United States. President Donald Trump has warned Prime Minister Keir Starmer against letting China set up a 'mega-embassy' near the country's key financial centres, after the plan was revived following personal lobbying by President Xi Jinping , the Sunday Times reported. The issue has been raised in trade negotiations between the United States and UK, according to the newspaper. In response to questions about the report, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle told Sky News the UK will offer a 'fulsome response' to any security issues. Those issues will be 'taken care of assiduously', he said. These are 'the issues we talk about as two countries all the time', Kyle said. 'But just to reassure people, we deal with embassies and these sorts of infrastructure issues all the time,' he said. 'We're in the Five Eyes agreement, America and Britain share intelligence. If people raise security issues even though it relates to planning, then I'm sure we will have a fulsome response for them.
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong students eyeing US universities advised to check social media accounts
Hong Kong students hoping to attend universities in the US should review their social media for content related to the country's politics, an education consultant has advised, as uncertainties swirled amid reported flip-flopping over whether consulates could process visa applications for Harvard. Consultants on Sunday told the Post they were still trying to get confirmation on what American authorities required and were unclear about whether they would be able to book visa interviews for their clients in the coming days. The US State Department on Friday told the country's consulates around the world to resume processing visa applications for overseas students who were planning to study at Harvard University, according to a report by The Washington Post. A day earlier, the department reportedly told consulates to keep visa appointments and assess whether applicants were eligible to study in the United States, while providing explicit instructions to reject those looking to study at Harvard. The order marked a sudden about-face after a judge blocked efforts by US President Donald Trump to bar international students from the top university. The flip-flop came just after Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump held a much-anticipated phone call in which the leaders agreed to reverse the move on blocking visas for Chinese students in the US, among other measures.
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
What were 2 Chinese scientists who took a pathogen into the US thinking?
Of course American authorities are deliberately hyping up their case against two Chinese researchers for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country an 'agroterrorism agent' that is commonly found across the US. It fits right into Washington's fierce propaganda campaign that makes many Chinese-born researchers and students in the United States automatically suspect, and turns China effectively into an enemy state. The Chinese side has condemned the charges as 'political manipulation'. The Chinese consulate in Chicago said it had lodged a 'stern representation' with Washington. All well and good. But I have to ask, what were those two researchers thinking? I know some scientists live in their own intellectual bubbles, but are those two completely oblivious to what's going on in these politically sensitive times, especially about crossing borders into the US? Even ordinary foreign visitors have been expelled or detained for weeks before being released for … well, for nothing. This is American border control now; its arbitrariness has in fact severely impacted tourism. Did the pair not worry about carrying a biological specimen through US airport security? Chinese citizens Jian Yunqing, 33, a research fellow at the University of Michigan, and her partner, Liu Zunyong, 34, have been charged with trying to smuggle the fungus Fusarium graminearum into the US last year. Jian is facing trial in the US, but Liu remains at large and is believed to be in China.
