Due to a deregulated fee regime, non-EU International Students (students from countries outside the European Union) have been paying higher fees than their UK and EU counterparts for years. These fees are now set at extortionate levels and increase every year - meaning that International Students’ fees often change mid-course.

Coupled with an oppressive border regime which forces international students to leave the UK if they do not secure a job after graduation with a salary over £35,000, constant monitoring by and check-ins with the Police, fees to access healthcare which is free to everyone else and a rise in xenophobia and hate crime, this contributes to an unwelcoming atmosphere for International Students.

It’s all too easy to stereotype International Students as being wealthy, but we know from a survey conducted by the Students’ Union that this fee regime is placing a burden on these students’ families and severely impacting the students’ wellbeing.  

We, the undersigned, reject the use of International Students as ‘cash cows’ for the University’s profits and challenge the current fee regime by demanding the following resolutions:


1. Consistency: A fixed flat fee-level for the duration of each individual’s studies.

2. Fairness: A cap on fee increases for new international students.

3. Transparency: Clear and accessible fee statements for all students.

Full petition text can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CJiWHj9DY9kudR1Kr6PnyKDyZWS_1rdxWxHcwy6ath4/edit?usp=sharing