International Students Boost Scottish Economy by £4.75 Billion

That the Parliament welcomes the recent report for the Higher Education Policy Institute, Universities UK International, and Kaplan International Pathways, The benefits and costs of international higher education students to the UK economy; considers that international students bring a variety of benefits to universities across Scotland, enriching the learning experiences of Scottish students and diversifying communities around university campuses; welcomes the report’s findings indicating that the economic benefit of international students in Scotland is £4.75 billion, and, on average, each of the 59 UK parliamentary constituencies in Scotland are in total £71 million better off because of international students, which is equivalent to approximately £750 per resident; notes that a report for the University of Glasgow, in 2021, found that its international students generated £631 million of economic impact in the UK economy, 50% of which is made up of additional spending, creating demand and sustaining jobs in a range of sectors; considers that, even when accounting for dependants and other costs, international students are a huge net contributor to the UK economy, and welcomes the news that international students who are based in the single constituency of Glasgow Central are worth £292 million to the UK economy alone, which is £2,720 per local resident, with the universities of Glasgow, Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian attracting students from across the world to the city each year.