UK tuition fees may increase by 2.7 percent from September 2025

Tuition fees in the United Kingdom (UK) may increase by 2.7 percent from September 2025, depending on which inflation figures the ruling Labour Party decides to use.

This change would affect A-level students currently applying to universities.

Bridget Phillipson, UK education secretary, is set to announce the increase which will see tuition fees rise in line with the Retail Price Index inflation. In a similar vein, Vivienne Stern, the chief executive of Universities UK (UUK), had said that the government must step in to “stabilise the ship”, as she called for fees increase in line with inflation from 2025/26 as a “necessary” step.

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She said: “Just get on and index-link the fee – this cannot be allowed to continue. That’s the bare minimum – you know, you can’t go on like this.”

Fees had remained frozen at £9,250 since 2017 leading to the Russell Group of elite universities arguing that the cap on tuition fees means they are now making a loss of about £4,000 per UK student.

Foreign students, who typically pay triple or even quadruple the fees of domestic students, have been largely supporting the sector, hence, the sudden fall in their numbers has removed a crucial lifeline for universities and has amplified calls for immediate action from the new government.

University finances have also suffered from a dramatic drop in lucrative international students following a Tory crackdown on dependent visas.

Previous reports had suggested that the government would raise tuition fees to £10,500 over the next five years. However, it is understood that ministers do not want to commit to any uplift beyond the next academic year as they consider a complete reform of the current system.

The move follows growing concerns that many institutions are now facing a financial crisis, with 40 percent of English universities expecting to slump into a deficit this year.

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The coalition government tripled tuition fees to £9,000 in 2012. Fees only increased after that to hit £9,250 in 2017, where they remain frozen today despite soaring inflation over the past few years.

UUK’s proposals indicate that if investment in university teaching had kept pace with inflation, funding per student would now be approximately £12,000 to £13,000.