International students could have to pay £200 a year on top of their visa fees to use Britain’s free healthcare system, under proposals unveiled by the health secretary today. Other levies are planned plus a NHS immigrant tracking system; critics warn they could deter migrant visitors and pose a public health risk.

The British government is to launch its first ever national campaign to increase outbound student mobility, The PIE News can reveal. The Outward Student Mobility Programme, which will be run by Universities UK's International Unit, starts next month and will try to tackle Britain's historically low level of study abroad.

International educators have criticised a decision by the chancellor, George Osborne, to raise the cost of a student visa by up to 10% every year for the next two years, saying it will create more barriers to studying in the UK. They also worry that the rises will not be matched by an improvement in services, despite widespread criticism of processing delays last year.

English language students contributed more than €135 million to the Maltese economy in 2012, in a sign that fears of a slowdown in demand on the island have been overplayed. Most students came from the EU but growth is climbing from Asia and Africa.

I believe the main mistake schools make is not thinking enough about the peculiarities of the Russian market. That’s why it’s better to take advice from the agents who work directly with students and who know them very well.

The UK’s universities minister, David Willetts, has told The PIE News he wants to attract more foreign students to the UK, days after the Home Office revealed it will pilot a cash bond scheme for some high-risk visitor visa holders. The VC of the University of Exeter said that the minister was serious about increasing numbers but his hands were tied by his party.

International education payments firm PeerTransfer has raised US$6.4 million in new funding to help it grow its client base outside the USA. The firm, which halves the exchange rate for international students making tuition and other payments, is used by 350 education institutions worldwide, but 335 are based in the USA spelling room for growth.

Australian educators say they are outraged by government plans to increase the cost of student visas at a time when the country is fighting to regain its position in the global education market. They object to an AUS$700 surcharge for anyone transitioning to a new visa once in the country. It comes as Brazil complains the cost of Australian study permits is too high for its students.