Amber Beat Global Student Accommodation Market News - January 2026, Week 01

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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 January 01-January 07, 2026

United Kingdom

• QS Global Student Flows forecasts ~8.5 million mobile students by 2030, with ~900,000 rise in UK international enrolments (Source)
• Fall in international enrolment pushes multiple UK universities into multi-million-pound deficits in 2024–25, including Sheffield (£11.5M) and De Montfort (£22.6M) (Source)
• University of Birmingham ranked 159th globally for employability among 16 UK universities in top 250, as per Global Employability University Ranking and Survey 2026 (Source)
• International postgraduate enrolments fall 6% in 2025/26, shows BUILA survey, as student visa issuances plunge from 623,698 in 2022 to 418,932 in 2024 while 2025 application volumes remain 12% below 2023 levels (Source)
• HESA data shows enrolment decline across multiple Russell Group universities, including Birmingham (-1,875), Nottingham (-1,710), Glasgow (-1,630) and KCL (-1,610) (Source)
• 45% of UK universities now offer lifetime career support to graduates, up from 41% last year, as 637,000 attend career events, 215,000 students receive one-to-one guidance, GFI survey finds (Source)
• Unite Students–Newcastle University 2,000-bed scheme approved, first phase (788 beds) due for 2028/29 and phase two (1,221 beds) set for 2029/30 (Source)
• Glasgow approves £76M development on former Marks & Spencer Sauchiehall Street site delivering 619 student beds in mixed-use project (Source)
• Exeter City Council approves 813 new student and co-living units on Heavitree Road, including 399 PBSA beds and 414 co-living studios (Source)
• iQ submits plans for 2,500 student beds across four blocks in Manchester, replacing 528-bed scheme with 50-storey tower (Source)

United States of America

• Trump administration suspends $5B in federal grants to major US universities in 2025, with Harvard ($2B) and UCLA ($584M) resisting policy coercion (Source)
• Stanton University’s independent financial model shields it from US SAVE loan termination, providing predictable tuition and stability as student borrowing policies shift (Source)
• US judge backs President Trump’s $100K H-1B visa fee despite opposition from business groups and universities (Source)
• Trump administration resumes wage garnishment for student loan defaulters with ~1,000 notices set for January, targeting up to 5.5 million defaulters in 2026 (Source)
• International student enrolment at 11 Maryland public universities drops from 7,608 to 7,159 year-on-year, with UMD down to 3,980 (-6.7%) and UMBC (-23%) (Source)
• NAFSA projects $23.2M drop in revenue for Virginia in 2025–26 amid decline in international student enrolments (Source)
• Duke University cuts $299M through staff buyouts and building closures as federal research funding falls and cost pressures rise, expecting $74M surplus in fiscal year 2026 (Source)
• Martin University to close after enrolment falls nearly 30% in five years, amid rising costs, debt and loss of accreditation (Source)
• 680-bed Aperture student housing community delivered in Orlando near University of Central Florida, adding 204 units of off-campus housing (Source)
• Samford University expands on-campus housing by 653 beds, including 513 freshman beds, under long-term campus plan (Source)
• Inland Real Estate and The Scion Group acquire 489-bed Fuse student housing community near Purdue University in West Lafayette (Source)
• Sierra College opens 358-bed student housing facility, increasing on-campus capacity from 120 beds (Source)

Australia

• Australia, with 25 million people, places 6 universities in the global top 100 and 10 in the top 200 in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings (Source)
• Australia’s 2025-26 Migration Strategy ends pandemic-era 485 extensions, tightening Temporary Graduate visa rules to prioritise skills/occupations over degrees for post-study stay (Source)
• Australia’s ESOS Act legally protects international students’ investment with quality standards, tuition fee safeguards through the Tuition Protection Service, and enforceable rights; 833,041 students covered (Source)
• Australia student living costs vary widely: AU$1,500–4,200 monthly; QS top 10 universities span five states with varied rent, weekly budgets AU$400–1,300. AU hosts 820,000+ internationals (Source)
• Australia’s AU$51B international education sector urges consistent visa and policy stability to rebuild trust, curb costly fees and stay competitive as student choices broaden in 2026 (Source)
• Record Australian international education revenue hit AU$53.6B in 2024-25 (5% increase YoY), 43% more than the pre-pandemic peak in 2018-19 (Source)
• Australia’s new Adelaide University opens after merging UniAdelaide and UniSA; 56,000 students transferred, with a 2026 overseas student cap of 7,350 (Source)
• Australia’s regulator TEQSA publishes new transnational education (TNE) authorisation requirements for providers delivering Australian courses offshore, including applications, self-assurance reports, notifications and annual reporting obligations from 2026 (Source)
• Australia joins US, Canada, UK, Germany, Latvia and Ireland as top higher-education destinations for Indian students, hosting 122,202 students in 2024 (Source)
• Australia tightens PRISMS South Asian assessment levels, raising documentation requirements for countries like India to address integrity concerns in international student visa processing (Source)
• Dexus showcases Brisbane PBSA student housing conversion, Australia’s first full-scale office-to-student accommodation project, part of a planned 1,200-bed facility in CBD (Source)
• Australia’s student housing in Brisbane revamps university dorms into lifestyle-oriented residences with modern amenities, reflecting evolving PBSA trends (Source)

Canada

• Canada’s 2026 outlook sees 155,000 new student arrivals target (~50% drop) amid ongoing visa delays, low approvals, graduate exemptions, and cautious recovery hopes (Source)
• Canada tops Indian students’ study destinations in 2024 with 427,000 enrolments, followed by the US (337,000) and UK (185,000), as 1.34 million Indians studied abroad (Source)
• Canada PR tips for international students: co-op enrolment, foreign work for up to 50 CRS points, target in-demand jobs, alumni networking and French study can improve chances (Source)
• Canada’s 2026 rules let eligible international students work up to 24 hours per week off‑campus, unlimited during breaks, and on‑campus with no hourly limit (Source)
• Canada saw 153,820 fewer international student arrivals in 2025, a 60% decline January–October versus 2024, with only 484,090 valid study permits held (Source)
• Canada’s 2025 international education saw study permit caps cut 10% from 2024, and Q1 2025 permits down 11% from last year (Source)
• Canadian master’s may boost permanent residence prospects: degree gives 135 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and 30 extra points (Source)
• Canada study costs for Indian students in 2026: CAD 36,100/year undergrad, CAD 21,100/year postgrad; living ~CAD 15,000; plus visa permits, biometrics, health insurance (Source)
• BGO’s real-estate arm buys Edmonton two-tower student housing complex for $198 million, marking its first student housing entry with 765 units near University of Alberta (Source)

Europe

• Emerging study hubs in 2026: Germany hosts ~420,000 students; France ~445,000; Spain 100,000+ (Source)
• Nigerian students shift to European study: major pivot to Schengen destinations like Finland, Malta, and France amid high visa refusals, including 45.9% Schengen rejection in 2024 (Source)
• Germany tightens student visa enforcement as Indian enrolments (49K+ in 2023) face stricter checks, causing visa cancellations and scrutiny for study‑abroad plans (Source)
• Rising costs and visa uncertainty push Indian students toward European study hubs like Germany, Ireland and France as US/Canada appeal drops sharply (Source)
• Europe 2025 international education: Denmark tightens student rules, Malta enrolments up, Netherlands risks upto €5B loss, Germany benefits (Source)
• Hundreds of Indian students at Berlin’s IU face visa cancellations as hybrid courses fail full‑time criteria, risking deportation despite large international enrolments (Source)
• Indian study‑abroad enrolments jump ~30% with Ireland’s international student numbers hitting 44,535 in 2024/25 and over 10% annual growth for four years, ApplyBoard data reveals (Source)
• Vita Student launches four new residences for 2026/27 bookings, including a modern Madrid Oria student residence in Spain with strong university access and contemporary studios (Source)