Leeds Conservatoire: International students hit out at graduation date change amid visa challenges
International students at Leeds Conservatoire have criticised the institution over its decision to move a graduation ceremony from July to October, amid claims the change will exclude some from attending.
The Conservatoire, on Quarry Hill, traditionally organises its graduation ceremony to take place in July.
However, students said that they were informed without warning that the 2025 ceremony would instead take place on October 31.
A group of international students told the Yorkshire Evening Post that because their visas expire in early to mid-October, attending the ceremony would now require them to apply for a two-year Graduate Visa. It would cost the students more than £2,000, on top of international travel and accommodation costs, they said.
In response, a boss at the Conservatoire said the students should have been consulted sooner but that alternative options for graduating had been offered.
One student, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “From the moment I began applying for a visa, it felt like the odds were stacked against me as an international student. I’ve paid £15,000 per year in tuition with no access to funding, all while living on a visa that restricted my ability to earn a liveable income.
“Despite these challenges, I gave a great deal to this institution—serving as a Student Ambassador, founding and running a society supporting the Conservatoire’s emerging electronic music programme, and representing my course as a Student Rep.”
They added: “Now, after doing all this and more, I’ve been told I can’t even attend my own graduation unless I apply for a Graduate Visa - which would cost me over £2,000, excluding travel and accommodation.”
The student continued: “This decision, marked by poor planning, misleading marketing, and a general lack of care for international students, has left me regretting my decision to study in the UK. If I had known how mismanaged, unsupported, and extractive this experience would be, I would never have come here.”
Following backlash from students and the Students’ Union, the Conservatoire proposed a separate “International Graduation and End of Year Celebration” to take place on July 23.
However, other students argued that this was “not a genuine solution”. One student said: “The alternative July ‘international-only’ ceremony is nothing more than a segregated event designed to tick a box.”
Responding to the claims, Professor Joe Wilson, Principal at Leeds Conservatoire, said: “Every year some students cannot graduate with their peers as they may have to complete reassessments or have personal circumstances that might mean they require additional time to complete their exams.
“By moving to October we hoped to ensure that all students could graduate with their peers. We therefore made the decision to move our graduation from July to October to ensure that this would not be the case. There were also limited venue options across the city due to the number of graduands we have.
“October graduations are not unusual in higher education but we have apologised to students who are unhappy with this decision, acknowledging that we should have consulted with them sooner.
“It is important to us that every graduand has the opportunity to celebrate their achievements, which is why we also gave them the option to attend graduation in July at the University of Hull, which validates our degrees.”
He added: “Our 19 international students are eligible for two-year graduate visas and can attend the October ceremony, should they choose to. For those who are unable to, we offered to host an international students’ graduation, and an end of year celebration in July. This was not instead of the October graduation, and international students are welcome to attend either.
“We will ensure we continue to engage with our students on future graduation celebrations.”