University Tuition Fees To Rise Next Year, Education Secretary Confirms
Liverpool, UK. 25th Sep, 2024. Bridget Phillipson Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities
2 min read
The Labour Government will raise university tuition fees to £9,535 per year in line with inflation.
The Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson confirmed the increase in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon, saying the Labour Government had inherited "the consequences of long years of shameful abdication of responsibility" from the previous Tory government.
Domestic tuition fees for undergraduate students have been capped at £9,250 since 2017, despite rising inflation in recent years.
But Phillipson told MPs the Government would increase the maximum cap for tuition fees to £9,535 from April 2025. This amounts to an increase of £285 per academic year.
She said that students already at university would not see higher monthly repayments as a result of the changes.
The announcement on tuition fees comes amid growing concern within the higher education sector about the state of university finances, and warnings that some institutions could face bankruptcy without more government support.
Phillipson also announced that the Labour Government would boost support for students with living costs by increasing maximum maintenance loans in line with inflation, giving them an additional £414 a year in 2025-26.
Addressing the House of Commons, the education secretary set out her ambition to reform the higher education system, "not just for the challenges of today, but of tomorrow too", adding that proposals would be published in the coming months.
"In universities, as across our public services, investment can only come with the promise of major reform," she said, adding that "universities are responsible for managing their own finances and must act to remain sustainable".
She said universities "can and must do more" to spread opportunity to disadvantaged students, "both in expanding access and in improving outcomes".
But Laura Trott, who was today appointed the new shadow education secretary, said that today's announcement would "lead to students up and down the country feeling betrayed”.
Professor Chris Day, Chair of the Russell Group and Vice-Chancellor of Newcastle University, said that the announcement was "a welcome sign that government is engaging seriously with the financial difficulties facing universities and students".
UUK Chief Executive, Vivienne Stern MBE said that the announcement today was "the right thing to do" and "university leaders and government must work together to ensure that our universities are able to fire on all cylinders".
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