Since the spread of Covid-19, studying abroad has always been surrounded by controversial topics, like safety, online-teaching experiences, and high costs of flight tickets and self-quarantine. Great concern was aroused among the Chinese student group regarding whether studying abroad in the UK is valuable. To continually attract international students and minimise the effects on study experiences caused by Covid-19, the UK government has taken a few measures benefiting international students, such as promising offline teaching methods in universities and releasing more expansive visa requirements and policies. Supported by favourable government policies, the number of Chinese applicants has reached a new peak in the past few years, implying blooming opportunities for PSBA companies to expand their business.
According to the latest survey carried out by UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service), up to June 30, 2022, regarding international students, 134,870 students applied for a UK undergraduate program, taking up around 20% of the total number of applicants. In contrast with the applicant number last year, there was an increase of 4,480 (3.3%) in international applicants. Among all the international applicants, 31,400 Chinese students applied for UK undergraduate programs this year, with an increase of 2910 students (10.2%) compared with last year. This is also the highest number of Chinese applicants to UK undergraduates in the past 10 years. The increasing number of Chinese applicants this year implies reduced pandemic effects on study experiences in the UK and a growing willingness among young students choosing the UK as the study destination.
Current visa policies also support international students staying in the UK after graduation. According to the recent guidelines released by the UK Visas and Immigration Office, the application deadline for the “Exceptional Assurance” (EA) is now September 30, 2022. The new deadline was extended up to two months compared with the previous one. The extra time allows students, especially those wishing to stay in the UK after graduation, to prepare for the PSW or student visa application. More relaxed visa requirements enhanced the international students’ confidence in studying in the UK and inspired more students to choose the UK as their study destinations.
One possible reason why Chinese students nowadays prefer to study in the UK is the high-quality courses and good study experiences offered by UK universities. Recently, most UK universities announced their teaching plans for the coming term that offline teaching was expected to be adopted to ensure the teaching and study experiences for both students and staff. NSS (National Student Survey) also released their latest survey result about students’ opinions on the quality of university courses. In terms of the survey result, 84% of the total respondents agreed that the staff at the university were good at explaining. Over 80% of the students were satisfied with their courses’ teaching quality and learning resources. Overall, the survey results showed a positive trend in student satisfaction with university courses. Considering that UK universities will re-apply offline teaching methods for the whole academic term, it is expected that student satisfaction with study experiences in UK universities will continually increase in the future.
Following the growing trend in Chinese students choosing UK as the study destination, the potential Chinese market is open to all PSBA companies who wish to develop and expand business at this critical moment. Rollzoom, as an experienced marketing service company, is your first choice to start conceptualising, planning and executing your business ideas in exploring the Chinese student market. We aim to provide you with one-stop-shop experiences and devote ourselves to exceeding your expectations. Don’t miss the excellent opportunities for expanding your PSBA business! Contact us right now to make your first move in the Chinese market. We are always here to help.
