Report weighs plans to cap foreign uni student numbers

Government plans to cap international student numbers could gather steam from a Senate inquiry report despite outcry from universities.

A Senate committee overseeing the federal government's proposal to impose a limit on foreign students is set to hand down its findings on Tuesday.

Under the changes, 53,000 fewer students from overseas would be allowed to enrol in Australian universities, as part of plans to impose a cap of 270,000.

The cap was introduced as part of a bid to slash migration and relieve pressure on housing.

Restrictions on the number of overseas students will only apply to new enrolments, with those already in Australia on visas for study not affected.

The 270,000 cap would be split between 145,000 in public universities, 95,000 for VET providers and 30,000 in private universities.

Universities would be able to add more international students to its allocated quota if they build more accommodation.

Peak bodies for the sector have previously slammed the proposed cap, with Universities Australia saying the measure would make students "cannon fodder" in a broader debate about housing.

The Group of Eight, which represents the largest Australian universities, said the cap would not ease housing pressure, but rather exacerbate it.

The federal government had wanted to cut back on the number of international students after the figure peaked at 500,000 in 2022/23.

Education Minister Jason Clare said there had been roughly 10 per cent more international students in universities than there were before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with 50 per cent more in privately run centres.

As part of the university overhaul, laws would also crack down on unscrupulous tertiary education providers.