The Market Monitor Digest (week 26/2025)
We're glad to bring you the key highlights from this week’s industry news. Thanks to the research from the BONARD Market Monitor team, you’re always in step with the latest market trends.
International Education
US & China: Trump welcomes Chinese students just weeks after study visa directive
By The PIE News, June 23, 2025
Just weeks after US secretary of state Marco Rubio announced that the State Department is working with the Department of Homeland Security to “aggressively” revoke visas for Chinese students, particularly those linked to the Chinese Communist Party or in sensitive fields, Trump said he has agreed with China to allow students to continue “using our colleges and universities.”
Malaysia: Malaysia’s 6% private education tax to hit international students and partnerships
By The PIE News, June 24, 2025
Under the revised Sales and Service Tax (SST) rules coming into effect on July 1 2025, a 6% service tax will apply to private education services provided to non-Malaysian students. This includes preschools, schools, colleges, universities, and language centres, although public education remains fully exempt.
Spain & US: The country easing visa rules to draw people barred from US by Trump
By Independent, June 25, 2025
Spain has announced expedited university access for foreign students who have been barred from entering the United States due to visa suspensions imposed by the administration of President Donald Trump. The move allows students unable to complete their studies in the US to transfer to Spanish institutions, with the added benefit of part-time work visas.
UK: The UK’s industral strategy
By UK Government, June 23, 2025
The UK government has released a new modern industrial strategy to provide a strategic framework for economic growth. Some £54 million is also earmarked to attract 10 world-class researchers to British universities. The latest policy document provides further details on government plans to supplement domestic skills by attracting international talent, particularly in high-growth sectors and labour shortages.
US & South Korea: South Korean students hire ‘digital undertakers’ to bury the past amid US visa scrutiny
By South China Morning Post, June 24, 2025
S. Embassy in Seoul resumed accepting F, M, and J visa applications. New requirement: Applicants must make social media posts public for review. Part of Trump administration's expanded vetting, aiming to flag views "hostile" to U.S. institutions or values. South Korean students now hiring “digital undertakers” to clean up online presence.
New Zealand: Funding lifeline nudges New Zealand universities into surplus
By Times Higher Education, June 24, 2025
New Zealand higher education has bounced back from the brink of a sector-wide deficit, with seven of the eight institutions posting surpluses in 2024 – up from just two a couple of years earlier. But the recovery may be short-lived, after the government refused to extend a funding lifeline credited with averting widescale university retrenchments.
Global: EnglishUSA report shows slight increase in 2024 for English language providers
By Study Travel, June 25, 2025
English language providers in the USA had a slight increase in international students in 2024, according to the third annual report produced by EnglishUSA, with mixed performance across key markets. The EnglishUSA report is produced in collaboration with BONARD.
Australia: More optimistic but not out of the tunnel for Australian universities
By The Koala News, June 26, 2025
Australia’s higher education sector has reason to be cautiously optimistic, with signs that the volatile operating environment of recent years may begin to stabilise. However, universities are not yet out of the tunnel. Studymove is predicting a 5-10% decrease in international student commencements in 2025 compared to 2024.
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