This seems like a classic way to remove income from foreign students from all unis except the "elite":

"Foreign students may be barred from Britain unless they win a place at a top university under Rishi Sunak’s plans to curb record immigration"

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/foreign-students-face-ban-from-uk-universities-ql9qzf83m

Curbing foreign students would damage the UK, universities warn

University bodies have warned Rishi Sunak that any plans to curb record immigration by launching a crackdown on foreign students would be “an act of economic self-harm”.International students may be barred from Britain unless they win a place at a top university under plans being considered.The gove

The Times
As many universities’ finance departments can tell you, this will create a massive funding black hole.
Foreign student fees are already almost double the current tuition fees. But what would we know anyway.