University tuition fees in the UK are set to rise for the first time in eight years, the Government has announced.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced the move in a House of Commons statement on Monday afternoon.
“It’s a difficult decision but a necessary one,” she said. “It’s no good encouraging young people to go to university if their institutions continue to be in financial peril.”
But what does the change mean for current and soon-to-be university students? Here’s everything you need to know.
How much are university fees at the moment?
Like energy bills, the Government caps university tuition fees for British students and they have been frozen at £9,250 since the 2017/18 academic year. Overseas students face no cap on tuition fees, which are significantly higher at most educational institutions.
At the other end of the scale, Scottish students can attend universities in their home nation free of charge because the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) subsidises the cost. Students from Northern Ireland can study there for a maximum of £4,750 per year. People from other areas of the UK still pay the full £9,250 in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
How much will university fees rise?
Ms Phillipson announced that the maximum tuition fees universities can charge will rise by 3.1 per cent in line with inflation.
This will bring the yearly maximum fee limit to £9,535 for a full-time student.
For part-time students, the yearly maximum fee rises to a £7,145 limit. For accelerated students, the limit will increase to £11,440.
The maximum maintenance loan will also increase in line with inflation. This means that students living at home can access a maximum of £8,777 yearly.
Students living away from home and studying in London can access a maximum of £13,762 yearly, while students living away from home and studying outside of London can access £10,544 yearly.
For students studying overseas as part of a UK course, the maintenance loan will be £12,076 yearly.
When will the change come into effect?
These changes will take effect in the 2025/26 academic year for new students and those continuing their studies.
When did university fees last increase?
University fees were last raised by a significant amount in 2012 and it was a much bigger leap — with the yearly cost for further education becoming almost three times higher.
The fee cap was set at £3,250/year until the David Cameron-led coalition Government controversially raised it to £9,000. The move proved catastrophic for the Liberal Democrats. The party Nick Clegg led at the time had promised to abolish tuition fees in its 2010 manifesto, only to reverse its decision once in Government with the Conservatives.
The £9,000 cap then rose again to £9,250 in 2017.
