The estimate is part of the coalition鈥檚 new industrial strategy for international education, of which overseas students at universities are a key part.

International Education 鈥� Global Growth and Prosperity, which was launched today, estimates that international students contributed 拢6.3 billion in living expenses and 拢3.9 billion in tuition fees to the UK economy in 2011-12, the lion鈥檚 share of the 拢17.5 billion that education is thought to contribute overall.

An increase of 20 per cent would mean an extra 90,000 international students over the next half decade, according to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

However, the coalition has also pledged to bring net migration down to the 鈥渢ens of thousands鈥� by the next general election in 2015. In the year to September 2012, the figure stood at 153,000.

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Asked whether an increase in student immigration could have an impact on the net migration target, David Willetts, the universities and science minister stressed that there were 鈥渘o plans鈥� for a cap on the number of legitimate international students who could come to the UK.

The message that Britain was open to international students went 鈥渞ight up to the prime minister鈥�, he told an event to launch the strategy in London this morning.

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For the rise in international students to occur, 鈥渨e must show that the UK values international students, will provide a warm welcome and support while they are here and will keep in touch after they go home鈥�, the strategy says.

It also set out a number of other plans, including:

- a cross-government Responding to International Student Crises committee to help those who have difficulty accessing money or renewing visas because of disasters in their home countries, for example the current civil war in Syria.

- a new Education UK Unit to support large-scale commercial partnerships abroad, which aims to win contracts worth at least 拢1 billion by 2015 and 拢3 billion by 2020.

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- the development of the UK鈥檚 FutureLearn platform for massive open online course (Moocs). British universities involved in Moocs 鈥渘eed to be flexible, entrepreneurial and willing to form partnerships, which may cross old public-private boundaries鈥�, the strategy stresses.

- an 鈥渆nhanced website鈥� and expanded recruitment service will be rolled out to advertise UK universities abroad. The 鈥淕REAT Britain鈥� advertising push will expand its campaign promoting education into rapidly growing economies such as India, China, Indonesia, Mexico and Brazil.

- the Department for International Development will double its investment in development partnerships for education

- the Chevening scholarship programme, which attracts future politicians and 鈥渉igh fliers鈥� to study in the UK, will be expanded.

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- Eric Thomas, who is currently president of Universities UK and vice-chancellor of the University of Bristol, is to become the new 鈥淯K Education Champion鈥�.

david.matthews@tsleducation.com