Barriers holding colleges back from fully supporting UK’s international education goals, AoC warns

Immigration policy, bureaucratic rules and funding will all limit the success of the UK's International Education Strategy (IES) 2026, a new report from the Association of Colleges (AoC) has said.

A survey of AoC’s members found that despite a strong legacy of international engagement, expertise and ambition, further education colleges in England are struggling to fulfil their potential and support the IES fully.  

The IES sets an ambitious target of collectively growing education exports to £40 billion per year by 2030, but increasingly, colleges are facing red tape, policy restrictions and funding cuts, causing unnecessary barriers to expansion or initiation of international activity.  

More than half (54%) of survey participants* cited a lack of funding as a barrier to developing international work, 42% cited immigration policy and 35% cited student sponsor license regulations.  

Colleges highlighted the increased cost of living as a barrier to recruiting international students, because to meet visa requirements, students studying below a Level 6 can work fewer hours than those studying Level 6+. Frequent policy changes, as well as administration burdens from new policies, were also given as reasons for creating a challenging environment to recruit in.  

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reclassification of colleges into the public sector, for example, has created additional levels of bureaucracy for large export projects, while continued changes to visa and immigration rules impact on international student recruitment in colleges and feed into an overall concern from the sector about the UK’s standing as an international study destination.

Regulatory challenges also continue to complicate the landscape for colleges, with technical and vocational qualifications at Levels 4 and 5 (including Higher Technical Qualifications) not awarded the same flexibilities for learning as degree-level courses.  

Nina Chorzelewski, Policy Manager at Association of Colleges, said: “Colleges welcome the focus the government places on their international work in the IES, and at AoC, we are working with the government to remove the barriers they face.

“This work is important because there is a risk that this increasingly complex and challenging environment will discourage participation in international activities, which will not only hinder achievement of the export target set out in the IES, but will limit the wider benefits that global engagement brings. We know that colleges continue to feel exposed in a volatile market where risks may outweigh the benefits that come with international work.

“As we live in an increasingly globally connected but politically turbulent world, creating and maintaining opportunities for international engagement has never been more important. International engagement fosters cross cultural understanding, enhances employability skills and enriches learning through opening up diverse perspectives.

“Despite the challenges, a strong cohort of colleges continue to work successfully in the international arena, valuing opportunities to diversify their student population, income streams and student mobility offer.”

The survey did find that despite the challenges, more than a third (37%) of colleges saying that international work is progressing better in 2025/26 than it did in 2024/25, and two-thirds (67%) wishing to grow their provision in some way. The majority (81%) said they would benefit from participation in Erasmus+.

Report recommendations in full

For policy makers

• Use the International Education Strategy to review and remove barriers to export, for example through the creation of capacity building packages to support colleges grow their international contracts.
• Ensure alignment of immigration policy across all Levels and institution types, for example through the removal of the 15-hour rule for qualifications at Levels 4 and 5 so they align with delivery at Level 6. 

For the sector

• Develop an international strategy that suits the ambitions, capacity and context of the college, supported at senior leadership level.  
• Implement actions recommended by the Agent Quality framework, to ensure compliance when sponsoring international students.  

For Association of Colleges

• Continue working with Department for Education (DfE) and British Council to support sector mobilisation and engagement with Erasmus+.
• Continue championing the FE sector through engagement with key stakeholders, including the UK Skills Partnership (UKSP), to maximise opportunities arising from the International Education Strategy.

The full report can be read here. 

*The survey had 80 of responses. However, much of the reported focuses on the experience of the 55 colleges (69%) who had carried out come international work in 2024/25.