Amber Beat: Global Student Accommodation Market News - August 2025, Week 01

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Missed keeping track of all the latest happenings in the student accommodation market?

Amber Beat is a weekly snapshot of the key developments in top student accommodation markets.  This newsletter provides you with all the information you need to know, from new upcoming projects to current trends, news affecting students to government policies, we’ve got you covered!

Amber Beat | News from August 07 - August 13, 2025

United Kingdom

• UK PBSA investment hits £1.6bn in H1 2025, 45% above average, as international demand rises and supply (Source)
• Trump’s student visa crackdown could cut US enrolments by 30-40%, diverting interest to UK (+2.2% applicants) and China (+10%) as top study destinations (Source)
• Tuition fees rise 3% to £9,535 in England and Wales; student rents average £7,475 as cost-of-living pressures grow (Source)
• UK to enforce stricter student visa compliance rules from September 2025, lowering refusal rate threshold to 5% and raising enrolment to 95% (Source)
• QuadReal acquires 3,460-bed UK PBSA portfolio from Apollo, targeting Russell Group markets amid 840,000-bed supply gap (Source)
• 511-bed student accommodation approved in Elephant & Castle, London, as Unite student expands presence with 19,000 sqm Development (Source)
• MCR acquires 1,013-bed PBSA portfolio across Coventry and Nottingham, expanding UK total to over 2,700 student beds (Source)
• Mansion Group and Activum SG acquire 795-bed PBSA portfolio from 90 North, marking Activum’s Entry into UK student housing sector (Source)
• 134-bed Apollo House PBSA in Coventry hits market for £3M, with £795k ERV and potential for co-living or residential conversion (Source)

United States of America

• U.S. risks $7B economic loss and 60,000 job cuts as international student enrollment projected to drop 15% in fall 2025 (Source)
• U.S. revokes over 4,700 student visas in 2025 amid tighter enforcement, impacting international students over attendance, employment, and social media scrutiny (Source)
• U.S. slashes student visa validity to 3 months for Nigerians and others, sparking concerns as fall 2025 enrollment projected to drop 30–40% (Source)
• Student housing construction rebounds to $3.9B in Q2 2025 despite high interest rates, with investment up 2.1% year-over-year amid enrollment recovery (Source)
• US reintroduces in-person interviews for student visas starting September 2025, adding social media checks as top MBA programs draw global applicants (Source)
• NAFSA forecasts 30–40% drop in Fall 2025 international student enrolment, citing visa delays, bans, and new vetting rules under Trump (Source)
• DIGNITY Act may end FICA tax exemption for 200,000+ OPT students, raising costs and deterring international enrolment across U.S. universities (Source)
• Steve Bannon calls for purge of foreign students and end to H-1B visa program, amid 400,000 approvals in 2024 and rising layoffs in U.S. tech sector (Source)
• Columbia University to pay $221M in federal settlement, agrees to report student arrests to SEVIS and reduce reliance on foreign students in New York City (Source)
• Sen. Tuberville proposes ‘Student Visa Integrity Act’ to ban students from China, Iran, and North Korea, sparking backlash from educators and researchers (Source)
• Tulane opens Bayou and Fogelman Residence Halls with 780 beds on McAlister Way, completing second phase of The Village to enhance on-campus student housing in New Orleans (Source)
• State Fair Community College unveils 196-bed housing and new Ag-Mech building in Sedalia, its largest capital project yet (Source)
• Berkeley Student Cooperative serves 1,300 students across 17 houses and 3 apartments, offering semester housing for $4,638 versus $18,335 UC dorm cost (Source)
• Core Spaces to begin construction this fall on ōLiv Columbia with 2,350 student beds and 720 market-rate units on Main Street in Columbia, SC, with completion expected in summer 2028 (Source)
• Core Spaces proposes 719-bed, 313-unit Hub student housing at Beverly Manor site in downtown Fayetteville, eyes 2028 completion (Source)
• William & Mary delays opening of Cedar, Pine, and Oak Halls in Williamsburg, reassigns 900 students to temporary housing until mid-to-late October 2025 (Source)

Australia

• Australia will raise its 2026 international student cap by 9% to 295,000, with sector-specific quotas, transition exemptions, and visa preferences for Southeast Asian applicants to support sustainable growth (Source)
• Australian education leaders urge fairer visa policies, VET sector support, and sustainable reforms to ensure better support for transitioning international students (Source)
• Australia has shut down eight vocational colleges and invalidated around 25,000 diplomas, leaving thousands of students without recognized qualifications in a fake credentials scandal (Source)
• Australian universities must now prove they’re building enough student housing if they wish to increase international enrolments in an effort to ease pressure on Australia’s tight rental market (Source)

Canada

• Canada’s study visas declined by 48% in 2024, recording 100,000 less approvals than IRCC’s target of 364,000, aligning with Prime Minister’s goal for 5% temporary resident population by 2027 (Source)
• IRCC to revoke TRVs, eTAs, work permits and study permits for border security and program integrity against fraud, overstays and administrative errors in 2025 (Source)
• Over 10,000 applicants wait listed for five years or more as financial return surpasses affordability, planning and social responsibility in the Canadian capital (Source)

Europe

• Goldman Sachs and Generation Partners Acquire 435-Bed Portswood House for £86M, Following £110M Purchase of 907 Beds in Cardiff and Bournemouth (Source)
• Ferrara to Add 700 Student Beds by 2026 Amid Soaring Demand, Including 286-Bed Darsena Tower and 310-Bed Brainville Project (Source)
• Italy’s University of Calabria Begins Construction on 504 New Student Beds, Guaranteeing Free Housing for All Eligible Non-Residents (Source)
• ILSC Education Group Enters Europe with Acquisition of Berlitz Dublin, Expanding to 23 Global Language Schools Across 5 Countries (Source)
• Studentspace secures PLN 177.8m to build 1,200 student beds across 3 new Krakow dorms, aiming for 5,000 beds in 3–5 years (Source)