Newcastle expels 50 bogus students

Newcastle University has expelled 50 overseas students after discovering they had used fake qualifications to apply.

The students—49 from China and one from Taiwan—enrolled in September and most were studying business courses.

A spokesperson for Newcastle University said: "The vast majority of applications for study at this university are genuine.

"We are however aware that there is an increasing national and international problem of fraudulent applications and this prompted us, as a university, to take action.”

Suspicions were aroused when the students failed to pass mandatory English tests.

On further inspection, the students were found to have supplied degree certificates and English language qualifications which were either high quality forgeries or altered to show higher marks than they had achieved.

The spokesperson continued: “At Newcastle, we have a team of people who are experienced at assessing applications, though we recognise that fraud can be very difficult to identify regardless of the systems in place.”

It appeared that many of the students had used agents in the UK and China to apply to the university; these agents are suspected of having supplied the forgeries.

The students were granted individual interviews as well as 14 days to appeal the decision.

As a gesture of good will, Newcastle University have decided to waive their right to retain the entirety of the students’ fees, choosing instead to withhold one month’s tuition.

The news preceded International Students' Week (17-24 November) and follows the Home Office’s announcement on 30 October, announcing the phasing in of new visa requirements.

The University of Edinburgh alone has 760 students from China and Taiwan; however, the China News Service estimates that nearly 100,000 Chinese students are currently studying in the UK, making China the biggest contributor to our international student population.

Border and immigration minister, Phil Woolas said: “International students contribute £2.5 billion to the UK economy in tuition fees alone.

"The student tier of the points system means Britain can continue to recruit good students from outside Europe.”

In September, UCAS announced a four per cent rise in overseas students accepted to colleges and universities in the UK.

Their figures revealed a rise of 14.7 per cent in Chinese applicants, in comparison with a fall of 13.2 per cent from the United States.

It is yet to be seen whether tightening of restrictions will result in a loss of revenue for some institutions.

Critics of existing immigration policy have used the news as evidence that widespread scams are taking place, perpetuating negative opinions of overseas students which may discourage potential applicants as well as creating a more hostile environment for existing legitimate students.

Newcastle University have reported their findings to the Home Office and the police, and have warned other universities to be more vigilant in identifying fraudulent applications.