The Guardian Headline Full font family includes several styles, each with different weights and italics. The light version (weight 300) comes in both regular and italic styles, as does the regular version (weight 400). The medium (weight 500) and semibold (weight 600) styles also have regular and italic options. Each font file is available in WOFF2, WOFF, and TrueType formats from the Guardian’s servers.@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 900;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 900;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Titlepiece;
src: url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: normal;
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive {
margin-left: 160px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive {
margin-left: 240px;
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive .element-atom {
max-width: 620px;
}
@media (max-width: 46.24em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-atom {
max-width: 100%;
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive .element-showcase {
margin-left: 0;
}
@media (min-width: 46.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-showcase {
max-width: 620px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-showcase {
max-width: 860px;
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
max-width: 1100px;
}
@media (max-width: 46.24em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
width: calc(100vw – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px));
position: relative;
left: 50%;
right: 50%;
margin-left: calc(-50vw + var(–half-scrollbar-width, 0px)) !important;
margin-right: calc(-50vw + var(–half-scrollbar-width, 0px)) !important;
}
}
@media (min-width: 46.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
transform: translate(-20px);
width: calc(100% + 60px);
}
}
@media (max-width: 71.24em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
}
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
transform: translate(0);
width: auto;
}
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
max-width: 1260px;
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive p,
.content__main-column–interactive ul {
max-width: 620px;
}
.content__main-column–interactive:before {
position: absolute;
top: 0;
height: calc(100% + 15px);
min-height: 100px;
content: “”;
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive:before {
border-left: 1px solid #dcdcdc;
z-index: -1;
left: -10px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive:before {
border-left: 1px solid #dcdcdc;
}
}The main interactive content column has specific styling for elements. For example, atoms have no top or bottom margin but have 12px padding. When a paragraph follows an atom, the atom’s padding is removed and margins are set to 12px. Inline elements are limited to 620px wide.
For figures with a loop role, the caption is positioned with a z-index of 6. A loop button is styled to be 32px wide, aligned to the bottom right with specific margins. The caption button has a high z-index of 100.
Self-hosted video elements are set to 100% width, capped at 620px, and displayed as a block with 12px margins. The video and its container also take full width up to 620px and are centered. If the video is immersive, it removes the width limit and margins, extending fully. On larger screens, immersive videos expand to 1140px wide with a negative left margin, and at even larger sizes, they become 1300px wide with a larger negative margin.
Color variables define various theme colors, such as dateline gray, header border, caption text, and feature red. In dark mode, some colors adjust to a dark theme palette.
Within the article body, the first paragraph after an atom or horizontal rule has extra top padding. Additionally, the first letter of the first paragraph after an atom is styled, though the specific styling is not fully detailed here.The CSS code defines styles for drop caps, pullquotes, and various layout elements across different sections of a website. Drop caps are styled with a specific font, size, and color, and are floated to the left. Pullquotes are given a maximum width. For showcase elements, captions are set to a static position with a full width and a max-width of 620px.
Immersive elements are set to take the full viewport width, minus the scrollbar. On screens smaller than 71.24em, their maximum width is adjusted to 978px, and caption padding varies with screen size. On medium screens (46.25em to 61.24em), the max-width is 738px. On small screens (under 46.24em), immersive elements are given negative left margins to extend to the viewport edge, with caption padding adjusted accordingly.
For larger screens (over 61.25em), a grid layout is used for the furniture wrapper, creating a two-column structure with defined rows for title, headline, standfirst, meta, and portrait sections. A top border is added to the first child of headline elements, and the meta section’s positioning is set to absolute.The furniture wrapper sets the standfirst content to have a relative position with a top padding of 2 pixels and no right margin. Within the standfirst, the main content area has a bottom margin of 4 pixels. List items inside the standfirst use a font size of 20 pixels. Links within the standfirst, including those in list items, have no border, no background image, and are underlined with an offset of 6 pixels, using a custom color for the underline. On hover, the underline color changes to a new pillar color.
The first paragraph in the standfirst has a top border and no bottom padding. For larger screens (61.25em and above), if the screen is also at least 71.25em wide, the top border is removed. For screens at least 61.25em wide, figures have no left margin and a maximum width of 630 pixels when inline.
On screens 71.25em and wider, the furniture wrapper uses a grid layout with specific columns and rows. A decorative line appears before the meta section, 540 pixels wide. Paragraphs in the standfirst have no top border, and a vertical line is added before the standfirst content. For even larger screens (81.25em and above), the grid adjusts with more columns and rows, the decorative line before the meta extends to 620 pixels, and the vertical line before the standfirst shifts slightly.
Labels in the article header or title section have a top padding of 2 pixels. The headline uses a bold font weight, a maximum width of 620 pixels, and a font size of 32 pixels. On larger screens (71.25em and above), the headline adjusts to a maximum width of 540 pixels and a font size of 50 pixels.
For medium screens (46.25em and above), keylines or line elements have no right margin. On larger screens (61.25em and above), these lines are hidden. The lines use a custom color for the stroke.This CSS code defines styles for a webpage layout, particularly for a furniture-themed wrapper. It sets various properties for elements like meta information, standfirst text, main media, and captions. The styles include adjustments for margins, padding, colors, and positioning, with specific rules for different screen sizes using media queries. The design uses custom CSS variables for colors, such as `–darkBackground` and `–headerBorderColor`, and ensures elements are hidden or displayed based on viewport width. The wrapper has a dark background and includes responsive behavior for devices ranging from mobile to desktop.The CSS code styles elements within a furniture-wrapper class. Headlines (h1) are bold and light gray (#dcdcdc). Figures in headlines have no top margin and a small bottom margin.
For screens wider than 71.25em, a colored line appears before the meta section. Text and summaries in the meta section are light gray. Social media links and buttons have a colored border and use a specific color for text and icons, which changes to a dark background on hover.
Links in the meta section use a specific color and maintain it on hover with matching underlines. In the standfirst section, links are underlined with a light gray color that changes on hover, and paragraph text is light gray. On wider screens, the first paragraph may have or lose a top border. List items in the standfirst are also light gray.
For screens wider than 71.25em, a line appears before the standfirst. On screens wider than 46.25em, the wrapper gets a dark background and a right border.The furniture wrapper uses pseudo-elements to create side borders. The `:before` element is positioned on the left with a dark background and a left border, while its width and left position are calculated based on the viewport width, scrollbar width, and a fixed base width of 738px. The `:after` element mirrors this on the right side with a right border.
For larger screens (minimum width 61.25em), the calculations adjust to a base width of 978px. This pattern continues for even larger breakpoints: 71.25em (1138px base), and 81.25em (1298px base).
Within the wrapper, SVG strokes and certain social/meta element borders are set to use a custom CSS variable for color, `–headerBorderColor`.
In the article body, level-two headings (`h2`) have a font weight of 200, but if they contain a `strong` element, the weight increases to 700.
Finally, several `@font-face` rules are defined to load the “Guardian Headline Full” font family in various weights and styles (Light, Light Italic, Regular, Regular Italic) from the Guardian’s asset servers.@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 400;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 400;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 500;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 500;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 600;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 600;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 900;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 900;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Titlepiece;
src: url(https://inter…The font file GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold is available in woff2, woff, and truetype formats with a font weight of 700 and normal style. For iOS and Android devices, the root element defines a dark background color and feature colors, with a new pillar color variable that adjusts in dark mode. On these devices, the first letter of the first paragraph in specific article containers is styled with a secondary pillar color. Additionally, article headers are hidden, while furniture wrappers receive padding and their labels are styled with bold, capitalized text in a specific font family and the new pillar color. Headlines within these wrappers are also targeted for styling.For Android devices, the headline in standard and comment article containers is set to 32px, bold, with 12px bottom padding and a dark gray color.
On both iOS and Android, images within feature, standard, and comment articles are positioned relatively, have a top margin of 14px, a left offset of -10px, and a width equal to the full viewport minus the scrollbar.
For these same images and their inner elements on both platforms, the background is transparent, and the width is set to the full viewport minus the scrollbar, with automatic height.
The standfirst section in these article types on both iOS and Android has 4px top padding, 24px bottom padding, and a -10px right margin.
Paragraphs within the standfirst use the Guardian Headline font family, and links within the standfirst, including those in lists, are styled accordingly.For Android devices, links in article introductions are styled with a specific color, underlines, and no background images. On iOS and Android, these links change underline color when hovered. Meta sections have no margin, and author details use the same color as the links.For iOS and Android devices, the meta information within furniture wrappers across feature, standard, and comment article containers should have no padding.
For these same containers and devices, the SVG icons within that meta information should use the new pillar color for their stroke.
The caption button within showcase elements should be displayed as a flex container, centered with 5px padding, 28px in both width and height, and positioned 14px from the right.
The main article body should have 12px of horizontal padding and no vertical padding.
Standard image elements (excluding thumbnails and immersive styles) should have no margin, a width calculated as the viewport width minus 24px and the scrollbar width, and an automatic height. Their captions should have no padding.
Immersive image elements should have a width calculated as the viewport width minus the scrollbar width.
For the article body prose, blockquotes with the “quoted” class should have specific styling applied before the content.This CSS code sets styles for quoted text and links within article bodies on iOS and Android devices. It defines colors, underlines, and hover effects for links, and adjusts the appearance of quoted text. In dark mode, it changes background colors and text colors for various article elements like headlines, labels, and author bylines to ensure readability and visual consistency.This CSS code sets styles for different article containers on Android and iOS. It defines colors for author bylines, stroke colors for SVG icons, caption colors for showcase images, and colors for quoted text. It also sets a dark background for various body content areas and styles the first letter after specific elements.This appears to be a CSS selector targeting the first letter of paragraphs in specific article containers on iOS and Android devices. The selector applies to various article types (feature, standard, comment) and body sections, following elements like `.element-atom`, `.sign-in-gate`, or `#sign-in-gate`.This appears to be a CSS selector targeting the first letter of paragraphs in specific containers on Android devices. It applies to various article containers like feature, standard, and comment articles, within specific body sections and interactive content areas.For Android devices, the first letter of a paragraph following a sign-in gate in the comment body will be colored using a custom property. On both iOS and Android, the standfirst text in comment articles has a top padding of 24 pixels and no top margin. Heading level two elements have a font size of 24 pixels.
Caption button padding differs slightly between iOS and Android. In dark mode, several custom color properties are defined for text and icons. A dark background color variable is also set.
The article header is hidden on both iOS and Android. The furniture wrapper has no margin, and content labels use a custom color property. The main headline text is set to a light gray color. Links within the article header or title area use a custom color property. A pseudo-element is applied before the meta section in the furniture wrapper.For iOS and Android devices, the meta section in feature, standard, and comment article containers has specific styles. A repeating gradient is applied to the meta section’s background. The byline text appears in a light gray color (#dcdcdc). Links within the meta section use a custom color variable. Icons in the meta miscellaneous area have their stroke color set by a variable. The alert labels also inherit styling from these rules.For iOS and Android devices, the alert labels in the meta section of feature, standard, and comment articles are set to a light gray color (#dcdcdc). Icons within the meta section of these articles will use a specific color variable (–new-pillar-colour, with a fallback to –darkModeFeature). The same color variable applies to these icons when using pseudo-elements like `:before`.
On larger screens (71.25em and above), the meta section in these articles will be displayed as a block with a top border. The border color uses the same color variable (–new-pillar-colour, with a fallback to –headerBorderColor).For iOS and Android devices, the meta information in article containers has its margin reset with a left margin of 20 pixels. Paragraphs and unordered lists within the article body are set to a maximum width of 620 pixels.
Blockquotes styled as quotes use the secondary pillar color for their decorative elements. Links within the article text are styled with the primary pillar color, featuring an underline with an offset and a light gray line, without any background image. On hover, the underline changes to the secondary pillar color.
In dark mode, the colors for both the blockquote elements and the links switch to the dark mode pillar color.When Sam began exploring study abroad options, his phone quickly started ringing. At 24, he was living with his parents in a small city in Odisha, a southern Indian state, and had been stuck in an entry-level job for four years. He hoped a master’s degree in the UK could lead to a high-flying finance job in London, or at least give him an advantage when he returned home.
After filling out forms on study abroad websites, Sam began receiving calls from unknown numbers. Eventually, he answered one. The caller was an education agent—a recruiter who helps students apply to foreign universities—offering their services. The deal sounded appealing: the agency would help him choose universities, advise on suitable courses and his chances of admission, draft his application, and assist with immigration—all for free. “I was sceptical,” Sam said. “Like, why would you do that?”
The agent explained they didn’t charge students because universities paid a commission. Other agencies kept calling, too. Sam (not his real name) spoke to about half a dozen, all eager to handle his application. Some gave him a bad vibe immediately. “It was all just for money; they wanted to get me admitted into any university as quickly as possible,” he said. In the end, he chose an agent from Edvoy, a large firm, who seemed more honest. The agent told Sam that his bachelor’s degree in commerce from a small-town university didn’t hold much weight, so he needed to be realistic about his UK prospects. Sam wanted to go into the process with his eyes open, so he signed up.
Each year, around 400,000 international students are granted UK study visas. A significant number do so with the help of education agents—middlemen paid by universities to recruit foreign students. In 2023, UK universities spent a total of £500 million on education agents, but there is very little oversight of how these agents operate.
In 2021, Priya Kapoor (not her real name) took a job with StudyIn, a large education consultancy, in a major Indian city. It was her first job after university. The pay was good, but she didn’t know what to expect. What she found was something like a factory production line, with students as the product.
The first part of the line were the agents—sometimes called admissions consultants—who brought in students and acted as their main contact. Kapoor said their advice on where to apply was often influenced by which institutions paid the highest commission. This is widely accepted across agencies. “Whichever college pays more gets more students. It’s not rocket science,” said Prabakaran Srinivasan, an independent…An education agent in Tamil Nadu, who is critical of unethical practices in the sector, points out that universities are not legally required to disclose what they pay to agents. Many treat commission rates as commercially sensitive information, sometimes refusing freedom of information requests on this basis.
Next in the chain was Kapoor’s team, responsible for handling applications. Her job title was “statement of purpose editor,” and her role involved interviewing students about their lives and using that information to write personal statements on their behalf. To pay their fees, most students she spoke to planned to take out large loans, often secured against their parents’ homes or agricultural land. They did so assuming that after graduation, they would earn enough to repay the loan. “They had no idea about sponsorship, no idea about visas. They just thought, ‘I’ll go there and I’ll get a job,’” Kapoor said. From what she saw, admissions consultants rarely informed them otherwise. “Agents do anything to avoid further questions,” she explained. “The attitude was: you’re just another application to me, and I have targets to complete.”
To some extent, Kapoor understood this mentality—the pace of work was frenetic. As January deadlines approached, she was writing up to 20 applications a day and had to prioritize. The better the university, the more time she spent. As a rule of thumb, Russell Group applications got about half an hour. Lower-ranked universities, which made up most of her workload, got an average of 15 minutes each. “Some of them weren’t the best, but nobody cared as we knew they’d get through,” she said. “Every day I did about five applications for Coventry, and I knew all the students would get in.” At Coventry University, 42% of students are international; it spent almost £45 million on agent commissions in 2023-24. A spokesperson for the university strongly disputed Kapoor’s account of their admissions practices, calling it “far removed from the truth” and stating that only 55% of applicants receive and accept offers. When asked for further details, such as the percentage who simply receive an offer, they referred back to their previous statement.
Once students received their offers, they were passed to the visa team and finally delivered to universities as a fully packaged, fee-paying deal. Over time, Kapoor felt increasingly troubled by her role in this system. “I knew if I worked on 100 applications, 98 were getting nowhere with their life,” she said. “I mean, I woke up and I started lying, then I slept lying, and I woke up only to lie again.” Eventually, she quit. In response to these claims, a spokesperson for StudyIn said they “certainly do not reflect our ethos or operational practice,” adding that the organization “takes the integrity of student applications and the quality of advice we provide extremely seriously.”
In the UK, a quarter of total university income comes from international students, who pay much higher fees than domestic students. To attract them, British universities rely on vast, largely unregulated networks of agents operating primarily in Asia and Africa. “It’s become a dogfight for students,” said Gautham Kolluri, an education agent based in Canada. The industry, which helps students apply not just to the UK but to the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond, is thriving in India. Each year, more than a million Indian students study overseas.
The reason British universities spend so much to attract international students is simple: if they relied solely on domestic students, they would go bust. In 2012, the coalition government slashed direct grants to universities and raised the annual cap on tuition fees to £9,000. In the 14 years since, fees for UK undergraduates have barely increased—the maximum was raised to £9,250 in 2017 and has remained frozen since.In 2017, tuition fees for domestic students in the UK were capped at £9,250, with a further increase of £285 planned for 2025. However, inflation has drastically eroded the value of this fixed income, creating a catastrophic funding crisis for universities. To compensate, institutions have increasingly turned to recruiting international students, whose fees are not capped and can be up to three times higher than those paid by domestic students for the same courses.
This push for more international students comes at a time when successive governments have pledged to reduce immigration. Caught in this contradiction are students like Sam, who are betting everything on an education system not designed with their needs in mind.
The common stereotype of international students as wealthy, globe-trotting elites had some basis in the 2000s. A former employee of a London university from that era described his role as finding “well-connected socialites” in China who could recruit other affluent young people from their circles. “We were looking for the kind of person for whom money is no object,” he said.
However, the profile began to shift. Someone who worked in university recruitment from 2010 to 2018 left the sector as she witnessed this change. “My first job was at a Russell Group university, where most foreign students were well-off and clearly left with a solid degree,” she said. Later, at a postgraduate law school, she encountered a different reality: “Many overseas students were struggling financially, getting into huge debt because they’d been told it would be easy to find a job in law afterwards. It felt morally wrong.” A 2018 study by an Indian university surveying students at an English-language training school found that 80% came from farming families, mostly from small farms.
Between 2017 and 2022, the number of new international students entering UK universities almost doubled. In 2021, an industry body estimated that education agents were involved in roughly half of all international admissions, with some suggesting the figure is even higher. While the UK does not collect official data on agents, Australia does, and it recently found agents were involved in almost 80% of international student admissions.
This agent industry has grown largely under the radar. In India, large agencies have emerged, striking deals with international universities—typically receiving 15% to 30% of a student’s fees—but operating through vast networks of subagents who do not always adhere to ethical standards. “A lot of subagents have never travelled to the country or institution they’re recruiting for,” said Kolluri. “Everyone just wants the money. I see it as student trafficking.”
Kolluri noted that some subagents barely speak English, a problem that can extend to the students themselves. Kapoor wondered how some of the students she worked with would manage in the UK. “Their English was poor and their grades weren’t great. How are you going to get through a master’s degree when you can’t write an essay?” While passing an English test is a visa requirement, several university lecturers identified language as a significant issue. “It’s commonplace to have students who can barely speak English,” said one academic at a Russell Group university. “They’re clearly just there because the university wants their fees. It’s so, so cynical.” Another from a top London university recalled, “I remember one Chinese student bursting into tears when I asked a question in a seminar, because she couldn’t understand.”
Throughout the 2010s, British universities relied heavily on students from China, who by 2019 made up almost a third of all international students. But ther…There was a persistent anxiety in government and higher education that relying too heavily on students from a single country left universities vulnerable to geopolitical shifts. To address this, Boris Johnson announced a new work visa in 2019, allowing students to stay for two years after graduation with no restrictions on earnings or job type. This policy, which took effect in mid-2021, brought the UK in line with major competitors like the US, Australia, and Canada, sending a clear message: come here, study here, work here.
International student numbers soared. The government’s target of 600,000 students by 2030 was surpassed a decade early, peaking at over 758,000 in 2022-23. By 2022, India had replaced China as the largest source of international students. Indian and Nigerian students, often older and traveling with families, frequently moved into low-paid care jobs to obtain skilled worker visas after their graduate visas expired.
As net migration figures rose, the mood in Westminster soured. The Conservative government first restricted students from bringing families, then raised the skilled worker visa salary threshold to £38,700—a nearly 50% increase. When Labour took power in 2024, they raised it again to £41,700 and announced plans to shorten the post-study work visa from two years to 18 months. The promise of staying to work after graduation was becoming increasingly difficult to fulfill.
When Sam accepted a master’s in finance at the University of Dundee in 2023, he took out a £25,000 loan to cover £17,000 in fees and other costs—more than five times his annual salary in India. With no family assets to secure the loan, he faced a higher interest rate. Repayments of £300 per month would begin six months after graduation, nearly his entire monthly salary in India. Sam calculated that if he could secure a UK job paying at least £25,000 during his two-year graduate visa, he could pay off a significant portion of the loan.
“I was under the illusion that I’d get a job really easily,” Sam said. He didn’t realize that the terms of his deal—debt now, opportunity later—had already been reset by decisions made in Westminster.
Many prospective international students see Britain as a land of wealth and opportunity, so it can be shocking to arrive and confront a housing crisis and a tough job market. In January 2022, Ajith (not his real name), a 24-year-old from a village in Tamil Nadu, began a master’s in digital marketing at Oxford Brookes University. Frustrated with his job prospects in India, he secured a loan against his family’s agricultural land. According to Ajith, his education agent from StudyIn had assured him that finding part-time work, accommodation, and a job after graduation would be easy.
The first thing that struck Ajith upon arrival was the cold. The second was the realization that none of what he’d been told was true. Without university accommodation, he rented an Airbnb for two weeks while searching for a place to live. He quickly learned that renting in the UK required payslips and references from a previous landlord—neither of which he had. In a panic, Ajith called his agent in India for advice. The agent told him…Government policies have fluctuated between encouraging universities to attract international students and making Britain less attractive to them. “It’s completely disjointed policymaking,” said Brian Bell, who chaired the Migration Advisory Committee—a public body advising the government—until March 2026. “The reason there’s no joined-up strategy is that everyone knows what is needed: British students have to pay more for their education to cover the costs.”
After the Conservatives banned foreign students from bringing their partners and children in 2024, student visa applications dropped almost immediately by 14%. That year, nearly one in four leading universities cut budgets and staff. Dundee University had to be bailed out by the Scottish government. By October 2025, the University and College Union reported tracking over 15,000 job cuts in a single year. “The dependents ban wasn’t the only reason for job cuts, but it was a big contributing factor,” said Harry Anderson, deputy director at Universities UK.
Given this backdrop, it’s no surprise that institutions continue investing in overseas recruitment, working through education agent networks to rebuild numbers. “I always joke that if I want to make money, I’ll go back into education consulting,” said Kapoor, a former statement of purpose editor now working in media. “If I’d stayed, I’d be making four times what I am now.” The landscape has changed since Kapoor worked in the field: statement of purpose editors are still in demand, but the role now focuses more on humanizing AI-generated content.
In recent years, this industry has faced increased scrutiny. In 2024, the Migration Advisory Committee warned the government that “rogue recruitment agents pose a threat to the integrity of our immigration system, with poor practices exploiting student and graduate visa holders mis-sold UK higher education.” This echoed a 2019 Australian parliamentary inquiry, which found that “international students were vulnerable, open to exploitation by unscrupulous education agents, and a lack of regulation enabled them to operate without consequences.”
In 2025, the Labour government moved to regulate education agents, requiring them to avoid misleading claims and disclose conflicts of interest. But given how the industry works—with layers of subcontracting and a commission-based incentive structure—it’s difficult to see how this can be effectively policed. More broadly, the problem isn’t limited to rogue agents. “We have a code of ethics for agents,” said Vincenzo Raimo, who has worked in international student recruitment for 25 years. “But what about a code of ethics for universities and the way we recruit students?”
Sam left the UK and flew home to Odisha in October 2025, a year after graduating. It was the first time he’d seen his family in two years, and it was a relief to no longer cope alone. But he was also filled with shame. His father’s wholesale business was struggling, and instead of helping out, Sam was costing the family money. His father and brother agreed to split the £300 monthly loan repayments while Sam got back on his feet. He found a six-month unpaid internship at an investment firm and moved to Delhi to take it. He hopes it will lead to a job, but even if it does, the salary will be no more than £400 a month. Meanwhile, he still has a decade of loan repayments left. “I think there’s no right, no wrong,” Sam told me philosophically. “But if I had the chance to go back in time, I would not have done this.”
Samira Shackle, the author of this article, will be speaking in London on Wednesday, April 8, as part of an evening with the Guardian Long Read, featuring readings and discussion with our writers to celebrate…We are excited to announce the publication of the new Long Read magazine. To learn more about the launch event, which will also include writers Sirin Kale and Samanth Subramanian, click here. To order a copy of the magazine, click here. You can listen to our podcasts here and sign up for the Long Read weekly email here.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs I see it as exploitation The Harsh Truth for International Students in the UK
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What does exploitation mean in this context
It refers to situations where international students are unfairly taken advantage of often because they are in a vulnerable position This can mean being paid less than the legal minimum wage forced to work excessive hours charged unfairly high fees or subjected to poor living conditions
2 Why are international students seen as more vulnerable
Several reasons they often have high tuition and living costs restrictive visa rules that limit their work hours less knowledge of UK employment laws and their rights fear of visa repercussions if they complain and sometimes limited English proficiency or social networks for support
3 What are the main financial pressures
The biggest costs are very high tuition fees expensive visa and healthcare surcharge fees and the rising cost of rent and living in cities like London Many students must work parttime just to cover basic expenses
4 Whats a common example of workplace exploitation
Being paid cashinhand below the National Minimum Wage not having a proper contract or being forced to work beyond the legal 20hour weekly limit during term time
5 Where does exploitation happen besides work
In housing from unofficial agents charging huge fees for guaranteed university placements and sometimes within the education system itself
Advanced Practical Questions
6 How do visa rules contribute to the problem
The strict 20hour work limit during term time can push students into the unregulated cash economy The pressure to secure a Graduate Route visa can make them tolerate poor treatment from employers who sponsor visas Any complaint risks their immigration status
7 Isnt the UK education system a benefit Whats the tradeoff
The benefit is access to worldclass universities and a UK degree The tradeoff is the enormous financial investment and the systemic pressures that can lead to exploitation Many feel the system prioritises their fees over their wellbeing
8 What are some hidden exploitative practices
