Responding to today's announcement by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears that all students from outside the European Union are to be charged an extra £50 for visas, NUS National President Wes Streeting said:
"It is outrageous to suggest that international students should pay £50 more for their visa. Coupled with the inflation busting increase announced previously, this represents a hike of almost 50 per cent.
"International students enrich our colleges and universities, as well as contributing more than £8.5 billion to the UK's economy. It is in our interest to encourage more students from overseas to study at our universities, not put them off with punitive visa charges."