Coventry under NOC scrutiny amid Nepalese student probe
The issue came to light following reports circulating on social media in Nepal alleging that a student at Coventry University’s Dagenham campus had been asked to return home due to a technical delay in a third-party payment receipt, despite having paid the full tuition within the official deadline.
Sector sources in Nepal said similar third-party payment delays may have prevented timely fee confirmation for other students, leading to Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) cancellations and missed enrolment deadlines in some cases. Sources said the situation prompted complaints and a Nepalese embassy review of NOC issuance for Coventry University — one of the biggest recruiters of Nepalese students in the UK.
“Given the volume of complaints, it appears the embassy and relevant authorities in Nepal have taken a cautious approach regarding NOC issuance for the institution while the matter is being reviewed,” Roshan Ghimire, founder and managing director of Gen Z Global Visa and Education Services, a Kathmandu-based education consultancy, told The PIE News.
“From a compliance perspective, it is important to clarify that Nepal’s NOC system exists to safeguard students, particularly where there are concerns about enrolment integrity, financial exposure, or student welfare.”
An NOC is a mandatory clearance issued by Nepal’s Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology allowing students to study abroad and transfer foreign currency for tuition. Any review or pause in NOC issuance for a specific institution can effectively halt its recruitment operations in Nepal.
Over the past five years, more than 60,000 Nepali students have been issued the document, including approximately 20,000 in 2025 alone.
The PIE has contacted the Nepalese Embassy in London and Nepal’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
We are proud of our record in providing wide-ranging support for students and our student-centred approach extends to visa issues. This must be balanced with our responsibility to comply with UKVI rules
Spokesperson, Coventry University Group
According to a spokesperson for Coventry University Group, the institution aims to widen access to quality education globally but emphasised its obligation to comply with rules set by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
“We have an extremely diverse student population and our Nepalese students make a valued contribution to the vibrant community we have built,” the spokesperson said.
“We are proud of our record in providing wide-ranging support for students and our student-centred approach extends to visa issues. This must be balanced with our responsibility to comply with UKVI rules. We do not set those rules but we are required to enforce them.”
The reports come amid wider visa issues affecting the UK’s January 2026 intake, after the Home Office told universities that mandatory checks had caused “unavoidable delays”, despite many CAS being issued as early as September 2025.
With changes to the Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) proposed in the UK government’s immigration white paper expected soon, some universities have already introduced stricter compliance measures. Students who exceed the latest acceptance date on their CAS may face visa refusal, as institutions cannot enrol them beyond that deadline.
And with sponsored study visas for Nepalese students rising 63% year on year to over 20,600 – making Nepal the UK’s fifth-largest source country – concerns among students are also increasing, prompting the Nepalese Embassy to organise a “Concerns for Nepali Students in the United Kingdom” conference in January.
The conference, attended by representatives from the Nepalese Embassy, Britain Nepal Society (BNS), Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, British Embassy in Kathmandu, British Council Nepal, and other organisations, highlighted the “remarkable academic achievement and experience” gained by Nepalese students at UK universities, while also flagging the “challenges and struggles” reported by a “significant number of students”.
The Ministry said it is ready to review higher education laws and regulations, monitor agencies, and strengthen support mechanisms for “students in crisis in the future”.
Stakeholders also agreed to establish an online expert forum and a multi-stakeholder council to improve coordination and drive new initiatives, alongside a working group to propose policy recommendations and communicate regulatory updates to students in both countries.
“Recently, the Ministry also issued a notice advising students, parents, and education consultants to prioritise institutions listed in recognised global ranking systems such as Times Higher Education or QS World University Rankings, or those officially authorised by the respective country’s higher education authorities,” stated Rajendra Acharya, founder and CEO, Discovery Education.
According to Ghimire, a small number of other UK institutions may also be under review by Nepalese authorities following formal student complaints submitted through the London Embassy, but he emphasised that this is not a “broad signal about UK universities as a whole”.
“For students who were planning to enrol, the immediate implication is uncertainty until there is clarity from both the university and Nepalese authorities. As a result, some agents are temporarily diverting applications to other institutions to protect students’ timelines,” explained Ghimire.
“I would caution against interpreting this as a systemic recruitment issue across UK institutions. Instead, it reflects a growing emphasis on accountability and student safeguarding.”
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