The higher education sector relies on international students

While on a summer holiday in her native Hong Kong, Antonia Ko received a letter from her landlady which said the room she had paid a deposit for was no longer available.

On her return to continue her studies at a British university, she was left with nowhere to live.

"My university's accommodation office was not helpful and didn't help me solve the problem," she said.

"In the end, a relative found me a place with no intervention from the university."

Ms Ko says that many foreign students often have accommodation problems and they are likely to be abused by some unscrupulous landlords.

"Lecturers need to give more attention to international students and arrange to meet them from time to time to get to know them and the difficulties they may face."

Valuable market

Ms Ko is one of an increasing number of foreign students who say their universities and colleges are not providing good enough services for the high fees they are being made to pay.

As a post-September 11 America is no longer the first choice as study destination for many international students, recent surveys show that many of these students now see Britain as an attractive alternative.

The British Council says the global market is worth �20bn a year.

Around 270,000 international students are studying at UK universities. They pay �1.5bn a year in fees and contribute �3bn to the economy.

Benson Osawe: "International students need more support"

However, some education experts warn that both the government and school administrators need to provide foreign students with better resources and support.

Overseas students face problems, they say, with high tuition fees, increases in visa renewal fees, getting a study-visa and with a lack of services and support when they arrive in the UK.

Dominic Scott, the chief executive for the Council for International Education, Ukcosa, says that whilst the increase in the numbers of international students coming to the country year after year might suggest that the vast majority are relatively satisfied that they are receiving "good value", they are also aware that the fees they pay are much higher than home students, so they have every right to expect the very best standards.

"In the main, these schools are providing them," he says.

"But the challenges are to ensure that standards are consistently high across the UK and within both the public and private sectors.

"And that support services recognise and respond to the particular and sometimes additional needs of students well away from their home countries."

Tuition fees are mainly increasing above the rate of inflation, which is unjustifiable Ben Osawe, NUS

Benson Osawe, the international students officer for the National Union of Students, NUS, agrees.

"The complaints received from students are that tuition fees are mainly increasing above the rate of inflation, which is unjustifiable, especially as tuition fees for international students are not regulated," he says.

"Some institutions provide some basic support such as free English lessons, free orientation courses and free pick-up from the point of entry into the UK. But other institutions actually charge students for these services.

"Also, while some universities have welfare advisers in their institutions, others do not have or have just one adviser to over 3,000 international students. How do you expect such an adviser to cater for all of them?"

Mr Osawe believes genuine students should be given more support: "Last year the government introduced visa extension charges without any consultation whatsoever and without having the necessary infrastructures to handle the situation.

"International students can't open student bank accounts and they are now being threatened with paying for health costs."

Bogus colleges

The government recently announced plans to clamp down on bogus colleges, which can just be a front for visa scams.

From now on, all colleges and other educational establishments will have to register with the Department for Education and Skills.

"Yes there should be more control over the private education sector,' says Phil Moore, the director of the London College of International Business Studies - a private education provider.

"We know many people feel the government should be doing a lot more, and, in the longer term, we do not disagree. However, one has to be careful," he says.

"A mandatory system of accreditation for the private sector could just deter legitimate new entrants to the market, limit competition and thereby reduce choice for international students."

Home Office officials say there is an ongoing investigation into bogus colleges.

As of July 2004, they had visited 672 colleges. A total of 178 were found to be genuine, 195 were not and 299 others would be investigated further.

Officials defended the introduction of visa extension charges.

"While we recognise the contribution overseas students make to the UK, we do not want the system to be abused," a spokesman said.

"We believe that those applying for permission to extend their stay in the UK should meet the full costs of processing their applications. There is no reason that this should be paid out of general taxation - saving �12m."

Suzanne Alexander: "Information reported in the UK media is quickly picked up"

The British Council works with UK education and training providers across all sectors in marketing the benefits of a UK education to potential international students.

Suzanne Alexander, its director of promotions, says institutions in the UK are aware of the fact that what they say when they are marketing themselves must be supported by students' own experience whilst in the UK if they are to continue to be successful in recruitment.

"After all, their graduates are potentially their most credible and effective ambassadors, she says.

"Our research shows that that the most powerful source of information is word of mouth and that with the internet, this spreads very quickly. Information reported in the UK press, particularly around quality issues and visas is quickly picked and reported overseas."

"Therefore, institutions know that if they are not able to meet students' expectations then they will vote with their feet."

Institutions say they are constantly improving their services. Middlesex University has one of the highest number of international students in the UK. Tim Rudd, its international operations manager, says the university offers a comprehensive range of support for them but that it could always do more.

"Students do experience difficulties at some point in the course of their studies, however, with the support that is available this can be turned into constructive part of the learning curve."

Schools regularly undertake a number of surveys of student experiences and they say, they take actions on a regularly basis to address any areas of dissatisfaction.

"Higher education institutions provide effective support, both academic and non-academic, to all students," says a spokesperson for Universities UK - the voice of British universities.

"This is highlighted by UK having the second highest completion rate of all OECD countries."

"We do know that UK higher education institutions and the government provide international students with a range of financial support options including scholarships, bursaries and hardship funds."