Tuition fee rise: What does it mean?

Tuition fee and maintenance increases will not generate any upfront costs from students and the student loan repayment process remains the same.

It has been announced that tuition fees for undergraduate degrees in England will be rising in line with forecast inflation for the first time since 2017. This will mean that current fees will increase from £9,250 a year to £9,535 (full-time) and £7,145 (part-time). This is a 3.1% increase. 

Tuition fees have been at a standstill since 2017, meaning that when taking inflation into consideration, the tuition fee is currently worth just £5,924 in 2012–13 prices.  

As a result, universities are facing a £1.4 billion loss on teaching domestic students, which is completely unsustainable for both students and universities. 

We welcome this change from the government, and we want to work closely with them to ensure that this rise in fees is used to put universities back on a firm financial footing. 

Tuition fees

Maintenance loans

While the maximum level of maintenance loans in England have increased year on year in the last few years, inflation has ended up much higher than forecast, leading to reductions in real-terms support.

Yes, student maintenance loans are also rising in line with inflation (at the same rate as tuition fees). 

The uplift in the maintenance package will mean that students who need it will have more money in their pockets from the start of the 2025-26 academic year.  

We know that the cost-of-living crisis has had a significant impact on students across the country and we welcome the increase in maintenance support which will help financially support students during their time at university.

Tuition fees will rise in the next academic year (2025–26). This will mean that  students who started their studies in the current or previous academic years, as well as new students, will be eligible to pay increased fees. 

• You apply for tuition fee loans when you enrol at university. This money is paid directly to the university and covers your course tuition fees.  
• You apply for maintenance loans when you enrol at university. This is a loan that is paid directly to the student to help with the costs of going to university (accommodation, living expenses etc).  

Both loans will not need to be repaid until a student has completed their degree or has left university.  

Repayment terms for student loans are set according to the repayment plan a student is on. This is determined by where the graduate lives and the year they started studying. 

Repayments for both loans will begin when the graduate is employed and earning over a certain threshold (currently £25,000). If your income falls below the threshold, your repayments will pause.  

These repayments can be repaid directly to Student Loans or can be arranged through your employer to come out of your monthly pay, like your national insurance or tax contributions.  

The changes announced will not affect the circumstances for how both the maintenance and tuition fee loans will be repaid.  

Universities spend the money they receive from student fees on delivering teaching and a high quality student experience. Universities also carry out research that helps the delivery of teaching. They also provide facilities that support teaching, learning, such as libraries, IT, maintaining campuses with high-quality facilities, and supporting students directly (such as through mental health support, careers and employability services and hardship support).