UK sector leaders have denied claims that international students are buying their way into leading universities with lower grades than UK?applicants.

An investigation by secretly filmed representatives of?Russell Group institutions discussing ¡°back door¡± routes used to?recruit overseas students, who pay much higher tuition fees than their UK?counterparts.

The report claimed that foreign students can buy their way on to degree courses with as little as a?handful of C?grades at GCSE, while British students would need?A or A*?grades at A?level.

Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities?UK (UUK), said the story failed to distinguish between entry requirements for full degrees and those of international foundation years, which are designed to prepare students for degree-level study but do?not guarantee entry.

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¡°They are designed for students who come from different education systems where, in many cases, students might have completed?12 rather than 13?years of secondary education,¡± she said.

Ms Stern said entry requirements for international and domestic students to full degree programmes should be equivalent, but also that entry routes for overseas students would reflect their diverse countries and education backgrounds.

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The investigation found that UK universities were paying tens of?millions of?pounds a?year to?agents and private companies to recruit wealthy students.

Ms Stern said UUK would work with the government to address weaknesses in the UK higher education system, highlighting the use of agents as an example.

A Russell Group spokesperson also said the Sunday Times had conflated international foundation programmes and full degrees.

Most members of the group also run foundation courses specifically for UK students, with similar entry requirements, designed to support students from under-represented groups, they added.

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International student fees are uncapped, meaning they can pay up to ?38,000 in tuition, while home student fees have long been limited at??9,250.

The Sunday Times found that 15 Russell Group universities ¡°offer special one-year pathway courses that allow overseas students to gain access to undergraduate degrees with far lower A-level or GCSE grades than the normal requirements¡±.

It said they were Durham, Bristol, Exeter, Warwick, Nottingham, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Liverpool, Cardiff, Sheffield, Birmingham and Southampton universities, Queen Mary University of London and Queen¡¯s University Belfast.

The Russell Group said that its universities maintain high entry standards to degree programmes to ensure that their offer remains of high quality, and that all students are at an appropriate standard to study.

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A spokesman added: ¡°International students are an important part of our student body, bringing diverse perspectives that enrich the learning environment.

¡°Revenue from international students is reinvested into high-quality teaching and learning to benefit all students.¡±

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patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com