The University of Sunderland plans to cut £40 million ($53 million) from its annual costs as tighter UK student visa rules put pressure on international recruitment.
The university has almost 4,000 students from African countries, making the impact of changes to overseas recruitment particularly significant.
Business Insider Africa reported that Sunderland has 29,414 students. This includes 8,368 international students studying in the United Kingdom.
Nearly 4,000 African students at Sunderland
African students make up an important part of Sunderland’s international population.
According to 2025/26 enrolment figures cited by Business Insider Africa, the university has 2,559 Nigerian students.
It also has 438 students from Ghana, 291 from Botswana and 139 from Kenya.
Another 100 come from Zimbabwe. Egypt accounts for 89 students, followed by South Africa with 82 and Morocco with 68.
Students from Zambia, Uganda, Cameroon and Sudan are also enrolled.
UK student visa rules affect recruitment
Changes to UK student visa rules have added pressure to international recruitment.
In March 2026, the UK government introduced a visa restriction affecting nationals of Cameroon, Sudan, Afghanistan and Myanmar.
Under the measure, Student visa applications submitted from outside the UK by nationals of those countries are refused.
The restriction took effect on March 26 and is expected to remain in place initially for 18 months.
According to the supplied report, the UK Home Office said the policy responded to high asylum-claim rates among people who had entered through legal visa routes.
The government estimates that around 4,300 Student visas will not be issued during the period. This includes about 200 applications from Cameroon and 160 from Sudan.
The direct effect of this particular measure on African applicants is therefore concentrated on those two countries.
Sunderland seeks £40 million in savings
Sunderland is also experiencing a wider rise in visa refusals affecting its international recruitment.
The university has already withdrawn 69 offers made to applicants from Myanmar, according to the report.
Its financial pressures have now resulted in plans for major savings.
In an email to staff reported by the BBC and cited by Business Insider Africa, chief financial officer Ben Dale said annual operating costs must fall by £40 million by September 2027.
The reductions will affect staff and non-staff spending.
Dale said the savings would need to be “recurrent and permanent”.
The university said it was working to identify savings while seeking to protect the student experience.
International students currently account for 42.7% of Sunderland’s UK-based enrolment. They also represent 51.8% of its postgraduate students studying in Britain.