Universities can currently charge a maximum yearly tuition fee of £9,535 for standard full-time courses and so will be on track to be closer to £10,000 over the next two years
University tuition fees will increase in line with inflation for the next two years, the Government has announced.
Universities can currently charge a maximum yearly tuition fee of £9,535 for standard full-time courses. The rise will mean fees are on course to be closer to £10,000.
The increase will come into force from the next academic year meaning anyone currently at university can expect to see fee increases in the final years of their course. Inflation can go up and down so it is hard to predict what the exact rise will be but it will likely be hundreds of pounds.
The Department for Education said: “We will increase undergraduate tuition fee caps for all higher education providers in line with forecast inflation in academic years 26/27 and 27/28.”
If you’re affected by tuition fee increases and want to speak to The Mirror about it, please email [email protected].
It said it had made the decision to help support struggling universities. Some 43% of institutions are forecasted to be in deficit – spending more money than it brings in – without further action to shore up their finances, according to the Office for Students.
Legislation will then be brought forward, when parliamentary time allows, to enable automatic increases to fee caps in future years in line with inflation – but only for institutions that meet tough new quality thresholds set by the Office for Students.
Universities that underperform won’t be able to charge the maximum fees. They could also face financial and regulatory consequences.
Maintenance loans will also automatically increase each year, with the biggest cash increases going to those from the lowest-income households. It comes after the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced at Labour conference that targeted maintenance grants will also be reintroduced.
Ms Phillipson said: “Young people from all backgrounds feel they have been let down by a system that talks about opportunity but too often fails to deliver it.
“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.
“These reforms will ensure value for money, higher standards across our universities and colleges and a renewed focus on the skills our economy needs.”