BRITISH universities face losing hundreds of millions of pounds in forecasted tuition fees from the impact of coronavirus, a national newspaper has reported.

Students from China and other severely affected countries have been made to cancel or postpone enrolments.

Sources told the Guardian that most universities are planning for new international students from the countries to delay entry until January next year, with online teaching still available.

Both Southampton and Winchester University are likely to be hit by the ‘black hole’ in funding. Chinese students have become increasingly important to them.

Winchester School of Art, which is run by Southampton University, has seen an increase in Chinese students in the last five years.

In the 2014/15 academic year, there were 525 and in 2019/20, the number has risen to 799.

Exams which include English language tests are required for visas and university admissions, but have been cancelled in China.

In addition, university leaders report that Chinese and other international students are unhappy at the British government’s response to the outbreak, with some asking to suspend their studies, seek a refund and return home.

British universities increasingly rely on revenue from international tuition fees, with students from China providing the vast majority of growth.

There are more than 120,000 students from China studying in the UK, as well as 17,000 from Hong Kong and Macau, and 8,000 from South Korea and Japan.

A 10 per cent fall in enrolments from those regions could cost higher education £200m or more in lost tuition fees alone.

The Guardian reported that Universities UK International, the umbrella group representing British universities, was working with organisations such as the British Council, which administers English language tuition and testing in China and other affected countries such as Vietnam, and the government.

A spokeperson for Winchester University said: "International students form a small (under 10 per cent) but important and valued part of the University of Winchester’s student body.

We are liaising closely with prospective students from those parts of the world which are affected by the coronavirus outbreak and are committed to supporting them in their application to study here at Winchester.

The health and wellbeing of all prospective and current students is of paramount importance to us. We are offering support to them and their families, as we continue to monitor the rapidly-evolving global development of the virus and follow official Government guidance on responding to it.

In the meantime, we are sending our friendship, compassion and support to students in affected areas around the world in these challenging times."

Southampton University was also contacted for a comment but has yet to respond.