Students from overseas pay much higher fees

Students from elsewhere in the world who choose to study in Wales must pay much more.

There are already more than 6,000 overseas students in Wales.

Ucas, university admissions service, has said applications from outside Europe have risen by 12 per cent this year.

Professor Aldwyn Cooper from the University of Glamorgan in Pontypridd said: "The assembly has set a target of an increase of 60% in current overseas students.

"We certainly believe that we can do at least that or better across the next 5 years or so."

The increase is good news for those universities which have been forced to look abroad, just to help balance the books.

Underfunded

The sector is worth �1bn to the Welsh economy each year, providing more than 23,000 jobs.

Proffessor Aldwyn Cooper from the University of Glamorgan in Pontypridd said: "However, the funding crisis was affecting both the ability to retain staff and the quality of student accommodation."

Universities have also been carrying out recruitment campaigns nearer to home.

Four of the higher education instititions in Cardiff have even combined to run a mobile exhibition unit.

The aim is to visit secondary schools and areas which do traditionally send people into higher education.