Foreign students paid $885m in fees last year including half-a-billion to universities. Export Education Levy statistics show foreign enrolments doubled in 2023 after reaching an historic low due to covid-related border restrictions. The figures show universities were closest to pre-pandemic levels of enrolment last year while other sectors still had far fewer international students than in 2019. RNZ's education correspondent John Gerritsen spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.