Labour is reportedly considering raising university tuition fees to £10,500 per year in line with inflation, despite previously ruling out such action.
The government is looking to increase fees by 13.5 per cent over the next five years, after the amount was frozen for the previous seven years.
Sir Keir Starmer announced in May that the party would go back on its original pledge to scrap tuition fees, stating that NHS waiting lists were the priority for spending.
However, in July, education secretary Bridget Phillipson stated that the party would not be raising tuition fees, with universities to be supported by international student recruitment.
The amount has been frozen at £9,250 since 2017.
According to a "source" quoted by the Mail, the government is now considering the rise in fees, pending approval from chancellor Rachel Reeves.
This would mark the most significant increase since tuition fees tripled under the coalition government, with the 2012 university intake paying over £9,000.
The reported action might also see £3,500 in grants restored to poorer students, a benefit removed by the Conservative government in 2016.
Ms Phillipson more recently told LBC: “It's not something that I want to go to, but I do recognise that over time the value of the fee has eroded.
“It hasn't gone up in a very long time. The system we have got overall is the worst of all worlds.”
The move would back up a call from former Labour front bencher Peter Mandelson who told the Guardian this week: “England’s universities have reached an inflection point. Financial pressures are severe and worsening.”
He argued for fees to rise in line with inflation, capped at a 2.5 per cent increase, but he did state the need for help for students from poorer backgrounds.
“I believe introducing some form of inflationary link to domestic tuition fees would be a fair approach, recognising the country’s very tight fiscal constraints and the need to steady university finances,” Mr Mandelson said.
“It would ensure fees do not become more expensive in real terms for students while securing the value of this income for universities.
“This would be a stabilising move ahead of further much-needed reforms both to improve university finances and make the loans system fairer for individuals.”
