India's Supreme Court recently ruled final year college exams will be compulsory for students to be conferred degrees. They also said the deadline of 30 September for exams to be completed can be flexible and states can move UGC (University Grants Commission) and extend this deadline to finish their examinations.

It is likely this will delay and complicate the admission of PG students into UK HEIs, as final exam results will not be available until October or later. Some Indian universities are looking at online exams while some may opt for physical tests with Covid-related precautions in place, so we are hopeful there will be a quick turnaround for some states.

Typically CAS would not be issued without final results, however there was a need to be flexible here to ensure the majority of Indian students do not have to cancel their plans to study in the UK.

Related to this development, UKVI has created provisional guidance for UK HEIs recruiting Indian students to PG courses for Autumn 2020.  While there is some flexibility, it is expected that high standards will be maintained and universities will ensure genuine students are being recruited with all requisite evidence towards that in place.

• It is up to sponsors to decide what academic criteria they use when looking at whether to accept a student onto a course; the sponsor guidance referenced is a non-exhaustive list of ways in which this might be done. In certain circumstances, universities can issue CAS to students who have not got their results, however universities will wish to take into account robust evidence that someone is on course to obtain the qualification they are expecting.
• Tier 4 guidance for students references the ability of sponsors to assess a student’s suitability for a course using means other than previously obtained academic qualifications when issuing a CAS (para 57). Where previous academic qualifications have been used to issue an offer for study, we specify the format these must be in and the information they need to contain so that verification checks with the issuing body can be carried out if needed.
• A CAS has to represent an unconditional offer (the exception around combined pre-sessional English courses aside), so if there are doubts about a student’s ability to complete their current course, or an offer is contingent on successful completion of that course, sponsors should make their decision with this in mind. Students who are not able to complete their course due to academic inability, or who do not enrol, could have an adverse effect on a sponsor’s Basic Compliance Assessment.
• For current/ prospective students outside the UK, options remain available to study flexibly as a result of Covid-19, and these could be relevant for some students and institutions in this scenario. This includes the ability to begin studies remotely without applying for a Tier 4 visa, and the confirmation of Graduate Route eligibility for those students who study remotely, as long as they are in the UK by 6 April 2021.
• For students already in the UK applying for further leave to study on a new course, the provision around a student being “likely to complete” exists in the context of academic progression.

We hope this will be useful for UK HEIs when formulating a response for Indian PG students.

If you have any questions please write to Aatreyee Guha Thakurta (Regional Marketing and Communications Manager, International Education Services, South Asia).