UK Universities Tuition Fees Increased: First Rise Since 2017

The UK Labour Party has increased the tuition fee for undergraduate degrees in England from £9,250 to £9,535/ academic year. This is a 3.1% increase in the undergrad tuition fees. This move came after the universities in the UK were facing financial deficits. Tuition fees have remained unchanged since 2017, which, when adjusted for inflation, effectively reduces their relative cost over time. 

Why Did the UK Govt. Increased the Tuition Fees? 

Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, on Monday, increased the tuition fee for undergraduate degrees. This increase will be only for the 2025-26 academic year. UK students will now have to pay £9,535/ year, a £285 rise on the previous fee.  

The UK’s Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, informed the Members of Parliament that the cap on tuition fee for domestic students and maintenance loans would be increased to help students manage their cost of living. He said the British Government was taking “the tough decision to restore stability to higher education”. 

The National Union of Students termed the hike as a “sticking plaster”. However, they acknowledged that higher maintenance loans will make a real difference to low-income students. UK Universities have been grappling with the mounting burden of student debt. 

UK Tuition Fees vs Inflation 

Higher tuition fees are cash injection to universities, as it assists them with their immediate financial challenges. Universities UK (UUK) has welcomed the move and termed it as “the right move to do”. UUK represents 141 higher educations in Great Britian. UUK Chief Executive, Vivienne Stert said, “thriving universities are essential to a thriving UK”. 

In the first quarter of 2024, UK universities received fewer than 30,000 international applications compared to 2023. Universities have been warning for months about the financial strain they face, expressing concerns that budget shortfalls could lead to course cancellations or even force some institutions to shut down entirely. 

Earlier Tuition Fee Hike in the UK 

In the late 1990s, the then UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, introduced universities tuition fees for the first time. In 2012, the Conservative Party increased the maximum tuition fees for domestic students threefold, raising them to £9,000. This cap was later adjusted to £9,250 and remained unchanged for seven years, even as inflation surged. 

The Universities in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales have not increased their tuition fees. They have their own administration and policy-making powers over the education system and tuition fee hikes.