Amber Beat: Global Student Accommodation Market News - August 2025, Week 03

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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 15-August 21, 2025

United Kingdom

• Over 226,000 UK students accepted to first-choice universities to provide financial stability amid declining international enrollment, surpassing pre-pandemic and 2020–21 levels (Source)
• Top grades rise again, with 28.3% of UK A-level entries awarded A or A* in 2025, up from 27.8% in 2024 and 25.4% in 2019, despite fewer students taking exams (Source)
• UCAS data shows international student acceptances to UK universities rise 2.9% to 52,640 in 2025, with Chinese student numbers surging 13% to 12,380 (Source)
• UK’s Indian student study visas drop 42% from 159,371 in 2023 to 92,355 in 2024, dependants fall 86% between December 2023 and July 2025 (Source)
• Indian sponsored study visa applications fall 3% to 428,900 following dependant restrictions; global applications also down 3% under 2024 rules (Source)
• Natwest 2025 index reports 52% rent hike and 43% grocery price rise negatively impacting student health, spending, and academic persistence (Source)
• UOL marks its debut in the UK student housing sector with GBP43.5M ($75.7 million) acquisition of Varley Park’s 771-bed student-focused complex (Source)

United States of America

• As NAFSA projects 40% Fall 2025 decline in US international enrollment, Trump-era policies raise fears of losing talent, innovation, and soft power to Europe and Asia (Source)
• US student visa arrivals drop 28% in July 2025, Indians down 46%, Chinese also plunge; Amid $7B loss and 60,000 job cuts, domestic students hit hard (Source)
• US slashes $100M in FY25 funding cut, cancels 22 study abroad programs (Source)
• US colleges are at a risk of closure without immigrant and international student enrollment, warns NFAP report (Source)
• Massachusetts could lose over 12,000 students as NAFSA projects 40% drop in US international enrollment and $7B hit to national economy (Source)
• US decides to end ‘Dropbox’ interview waiver for majority of student visa applicants starting September 2, 2025, citing security concerns to tighten screening (Source)
• July survey finds 91% of international students still interested in US for study despite federal complications and political instability (Source)
• US education department’s backlog of 27,000 student loan complaints sparks slow disbursements, miscredited payments, and occasional overcharges (Source)
• Vesper Holdings student housing portfolio grows with Gateway Lofts Lansing acquisition, marking 20 deals worth over $1 billion in 15 months (Source)
• ACC and Purdue Research Foundation finish 3rd & West, a $98 million, 401-unit (984-bed) student housing project on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus (Source)
• Centenary College unveils $6 million apartment-style student housing in Dover to accommodate over 90 students (Source)
• North Carolina A&T wraps up $30 million campus housing makeover ahead of Fall 2025 (Source)

Australia

• Australia’s international student cap to lift from 270,000 in 2025 to 295,000 in 2026, but stricter migration rules may prevent numbers from rising to target (Source)
• Australia plans further international education reforms starting 2026, with potential ESOS Act amendments and visa-based management of VET for sustainable growth (Source)
• Government flags climbing onshore transfers as integrity risk, enrollment dips from stricter measures, not visa fee hikes, says international education assistant minister (Source)
• Send My Bag data shows 34% plunge in Australian student relocations to US in June, 20% slump remains since May, cites Trump’s international student restrictions (Source)
• Brookfield acquires PBSA site opposite University of Melbourne, adding to $7.4B global portfolio of 197 assets and 55,000 beds (Source)

Canada

• Indian students prefer Canada over US, with 427,000 in Canada and 337,630 in US by end of 2024; 94% rank Canada top choice in 2025 survey (Source)
• Immigration refusal rates climb as 2025 study permit cap tightens 10% (485,000 to 437,000), PGWP requires CLB 7/5, and application backlog surpasses 2.1M in June 2025 (Source)
• Canada slashes overall immigration but lifts 10% French-speaking newcomer target outside Quebec to 12% by 2029 (Sources)
• Edmonton proposes first-of-its-kind housing incentive to fund up to 500 affordable student-focused units with $30,000 per unit if council approves (Source)
• Harvard Kennedy School scraps plans for global online program over low demand but maintains Canadian pathway with Toronto’s Munk School for international students (Source)

Europe

• Indian Students in Germany and Russia rise to 35,000 and 31,400 in 2024 while Canada falls 8% to 393,000, UK Down 4% in 2023/24, US 332,000 may face decline (Source)
• Germany set to welcome 405,000 international students in 2025, with enrolments up 10% overall, 56% for master’s programs, under DAAD’s skilled labour initiative (Source)
• Northern Ireland A-level results steady in 2025, with 30.4% scoring A* or A (vs 30.3% in 2024) and 8.7% achieving A* grade (Source)
• Over 760,000 Indian students studied abroad in 2024, down from 895,000 in 2023, with Germany and Russia growing in appeal (Source)
• International student population in France led by 43,354 Moroccans, making up 10% of the country’s total enrollments in AY 2023-24 (Source)