Fall in overseas students fuels threat to English universities despite rise in fees

Higher tuition costs have already been wiped out' by government tax hikes, critics claim

A fall in international students applying for visas risks prolonging the existential threat facing some of England's universities, sources in higher education say, amid warnings that an increase in tuition fees has already been wiped out" by the government's tax rises.

Despite the decision by ministers to increase fees for UK students this year to 9,535 - the first rise in eight years - figures across the universities sector said the financial situation remained dire, with further course closures and redundancies being widely considered.