Tuition fees to rise in line with inflation
The publishing on the government’s Post-16 education and skills white paper has announced key changes, including an increase in the tuition fee cap.
Image Credit: University of Leeds
In 2024, the government announced tuition fees would rise and now they are going up again.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson addressed the commons on Tuesday, she said:
“Today I can confirm we will increase undergraduate tuition fee caps for all higher education providers, in line with forecast inflation for the next two academic years.”
Such increase could see fees rising by £400 a year, experts say. Currently the tuition fees are capped at £9,535, with the majority of universities charging the maximum.
The government has set out that maintenance loans will also be increasing for students, with the largest increase going to those with the lowest incomes.
It was also announced that universities can only charge full fees if they provide high-quality teaching.
Phillipson said:
“Universities charge significant fees for their courses. If they are going to charge the maximum, it is right that they deliver the world-class education students expect.”
It is yet to be confirmed how universities will be assessed, and what standards must be met in order to charge the maximum fees.
This move has come after universities up and down the country are struggling with rising costs, with mass redundancies happening in a bid to cut costs. It was only last week that the University of Derby announced they would be looking at plans seeing more than 200 members of their staff being made redundant.
Experts say that increasing funding to universities should not come at the cost of putting students in further debt, but rather from government grants.
Speaking to the Gryphon, one Leeds Student says:
“I think the rise in tuition fees is awful considering the already extortionate fees to attend higher education. I think it may deter future students in their choice to attend university. If the government claim to want more people to attend university, this is just reducing accessibility.”
Another said:
“It’s crazy that tuition fees are increasing again, alongside the cost of living it would definitely put me off if I was leaving school this time around. A lot of employers are even looking for Masters and PhD qualifications now so you almost don’t have an option.”
The raise of the tuition fee cap could affect those that have come to university this year, with their final years being more expensive. Speaking to the gryphon, a first-year student said:
“It’s definitely stressful as it’s already an extreme amount to be paying back and now knowing it’s going to raise even more when I’m already at university means I have to worry about the future and if I will be able to pay that off”
According to UCAS, universities in Britain saw a record number of UK 18-year-old applicants by the 30th June 2025, despite the tuition fee increase in the previous of November, showing prospective students were not put off by the increasing costs. However, international student applications did see a decrease.
Alongside the Tuition fee increase the government has announced new V- levels, that students can take alongside A-levels as a different alternative to accessing higher education.