Glasgow Caledonian Pauses PG Recruitment Over BCA Compliance Concerns

Meta Description: Glasgow Caledonian University halts international recruitment for select postgraduate courses amid concerns over meeting proposed UK BCA metrics. Affected students offered refunds and alternatives.

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Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) has temporarily paused international student recruitment for select postgraduate courses amid concerns related to the UK government’s proposed Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) metrics. The decision, which takes effect immediately, targets programmes identified as being at risk of falling short of new immigration compliance thresholds.

The BCA is a regulatory framework used to evaluate the compliance of UK universities that sponsor international students. Proposed updates from the UK Home Office seek to tighten standards across several key areas:

Visa Refusal Rate: Lowering the acceptable threshold from 10% to 5%

Course Completion Rate: Increasing the requirement from 85% to 90%

Enrolment Rate: Raising the benchmark from 90% to 95%

These changes are expected to be formally introduced in line with broader efforts to ensure institutions maintain robust international recruitment and support practices.

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In response to these proposed adjustments, GCU initiated an internal review of programme-level data, including visa refusal rates, student retention, and enrolment figures. The audit revealed that a number of postgraduate programmes particularly those with high numbers of international applicants could struggle to meet the revised BCA standards.

As a precautionary measure, GCU has halted international admissions to these at-risk programmes for the September 2025 intake. The university has notified affected students and global recruitment partners, offering deposit refunds and advising applicants to explore alternative programmes available for admission.

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GCU has assured applicants that this pause is a temporary step intended to allow time for adjustments to internal admission processes and compliance mechanisms. The university is offering full support to impacted students through its admissions and international student services teams.

While specific programmes have not been named, it is understood that the decision largely affects postgraduate courses popular among applicants intending to bring dependants.

Prospective students are encouraged to stay updated through official university communications and consult the admissions office for course-specific alternatives and guidance regarding the revised application process.