Overview

• Under the new rules, full-time undergraduates in England and Wales will see fees increase from £9,250 to £9,535 per year starting September 2025.
• Maximum maintenance loans for students living away from home outside London have risen from £10,227 to £10,544 annually.
• The Department for Education says the 3% uplift reflects inflation after tuition fees were frozen since 2017.
• Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to abandon a manifesto pledge to scrap fees in order to fund NHS spending has drawn criticism over student affordability.
• Universities UK warns that a 16% drop in international student visas and rising operational costs could push 40% of institutions into deficit this year.