The former UK universities minister, David Willetts, has voiced clear support for a liberalisation of post-study work policy in the UK. 

The UK’s Universities & Science Minister David Willetts has today announced in a written statement that £8m was paid in maintenance loans to potentially bogus EU students at Alternative Providers (APs) and is threatening legal action against private colleges found to be involved.

In a letter leaked to the Daily Mail, UK minister for universities, David Willetts has argued that international students should be removed from net migration figures to prevent a dwindling of legitimate students coming to the UK. The revelation puts him at odds with fellow cabinet members who want to slash student visas by 2015.

The UK coalition government has granted the sixth private college ever the power to award its own degrees in a bid to open up the HE sector to private providers. Regent’s College says it now plans to apply for university status...