Hosts homestay are not the only people who are keen to highlight the mutual benefits of offering accommodation to an international student studying in Britain. The financial incentive to a homeowner and the family security provided to a young student are only a part of the greater reward of international hosting.
Latest research from the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and the Higher Education Academy (HEA) found that students themselves believe in the "lifetime" benefits beyond the years of their formal education. The survey results reveal that most students feel that the experience of studying / living abroad with other people, "provides them with a better worldview, makes them more aware of cultural sensitivities and helps them develop a global network".
Key to the enduring success of the homestay scheme
It’s something that hosts with years of experience in providing international student accommodation know first-hand and who would agree that the experience is key to the enduring success of the homestay scheme. Undergraduate Courses At University And College (UCAS) say that more than 430,000 international students from over 180 countries study in the UK every year. In 2014/15, nearly 18,300 foreign students were studying at UK Colleges of Further Education.The number of international applicants for universities and colleges in 2015 rose by 2 per cent (UCAS) at a time when the British Government is reforming the regulations for students from outside the European Union.
Nevertheless, the attractions of studying in Britain for young students continues to be strong, according to a Universities Report, 2015. The survey can only lend support to the idea of the wide scope of opportunities for host providers and overseas students to discover more about each other’s worlds. Over a ten year period, students from the European Union were the largest group with nearly 29 per cent share of the total number of non-UK students.
Cap on university places has been removed
Topping the list of a survey by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) was Germany with around 13,700 students, followed by 12,000 from France. The Republic of Ireland was third with 11,000 students, just ahead of Italy and Greece with 10,500 and 10,100 respectively. Spain drew just over 7,000 students while around 6,000 came from each of the Eastern European countries, Romania, Bulgaria and Poland.
But of course, students apply from all around the world to study in Britain. The HESA survey reveals that in 2014/15, just over 89,500 students were from China, nearly five times more than India in second place with 18,300, closely followed by Malaysia, the USA and Hong Kong at around 17,000 students each.
Even though the government is looking at the rules for international students during the summer vacation and visas after graduation, the cap on university places has been removed, which does mean that UK universities can recruit an extra 30,000 students. As a result of removing student number controls altogether in 2015 the government also predicts that the number of students entering higher education will increase by 60,000 each year.
The squeeze on suitable accommodation has become more noticeable and an increasing number of students from abroad – especially younger students who may be studying English – have come to rely on the homestay scheme for ensuring a quality standard.
Limits on halls of residence
First year university student might feel that applying to stay in the campus halls of residence is an easier option than having to search for a room. That way you’re bound to meet and get to know so many different students from anywhere in the world! While many universities do offer a guarantee that first-year students can get a place in a hall of residence rather than having to search for a room in private rented accommodation, there are important issues to take on board.
As the number of student applicants rises, an applicant needs to be extremely quick or lucky to grab one of the limited number of rooms available at a halls of residence. Even if a student can secure a room, by the following term they need to think about where they will live after the first year as halls of residence are only available for one year, no matter the duration of a college course.
But undoubtedly, one of the greatest advantages of homestay accommodation is receiving help and support from the host in getting to grips with understanding things like finding your way around, what to do and how to ask for certain things in particular situations. There is no better way to get to truly understand the culture than to live under the same roof with a homestay provider – and learning to speak English the British way! Via hosts-international
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