Cash-strapped NE University promises students ‘You won’t suffer’
Written by Jonny Thompson on 14th October 2026
The University of Sunderland which is aiming to find savings.
A leading North East university has reassured students that budget cuts won’t affect them.
Sunderland University is aiming to save £40million from its budget before September 2027, as a major reduction in foreign students has significantly hit its income.
In an email sent out to all students yesterday (Tues 13th), the university said it is “working to identify where we can reduce costs, without compromising the student experience. That remains our priority.”
Financial pressures already facing the university, and many across the sector, have been “exacerbated by a sudden and immediate impact of increased visa refusals” according to the university’s chief financial officer, Ben Dale.
From June 1 this year, the Home Office slashed the maximum allowable student visa refusal rate for sponsor universities from 10% to 5% – and those now exceeding the 5% threshold risk losing the right to recruit overseas students completely.
Study visa refusals doubled in the first half of 2026 compared to 2025, with sharp increases affecting applicants from nations like Pakistan, Nigeria, India, and Bangladesh.
Sunderland University has already taken steps to reduce its spending, with the controversial closure of the National Glass Centre, and Mr Dale has not ruled out job cuts.
Unison’s northern regional organiser Victoria Murray said: “It’s particularly disappointing this latest announcement comes so soon after the university closed the National Glass Centre in the summer.
“Cutting jobs is a false economy that will harm the university experience for students.”
University chief executive Sir David Bell warned in 2025 of increasing pressure, but said: “In 2024/25, the University posted strong results, despite the considerable pressures that faced the higher education sector as a whole.”
Many universities across the UK are facing significant financial pressure, with 42% reporting problems in May 2026, up from 35% in May 2024 – with 23% of total income for UK universities coming from tuition fees paid by foreign students, according to data from the High Education Statistics Agency.
