Tuition fees must go up, universities say, as the Autumn term begins

News editor Tamara Greatrix writes about the recent proposals to raise tuition fees at universities across England, detailing what these changes could mean for students and the funding of universities

Written by Tamara Greatrix
A 2nd Year English Literature student and Editor for Redbrick News.
Published
Images by GoodFreePhotos

While tuition fees for home students have been capped at £9,250 since 2017, with the new semester now in full swing, a coalition of 141 UK universities is advocating for an increase in fees.

Following the beginning of the new semester, UK universities propose that increasing tuition fees is the only way to ensure the sector ‘does not slide into decline.’ The Department for Education believes the raise will provide a secure future for our world-leading universities considering inflation and increased government investment. The proposal to increase fees has surprised many, given Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s earlier promise to support scrapping fees during his 2020 Labour leadership campaign. However, he later retracted this support.

About 40% of universities are expecting to return a budget deficit this year, according to the higher-education regulator, the Office for Students.

They claim that ‘if investment in teaching students had kept up with inflation, funding per student would be in the region of £12,000 – £13,000.’ Rose Stephenson from the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) says that increasing tuition fees would be ‘politically very difficult’ and that, instead, ‘there needs to be a decision’ about how universities will be funded. Some options include raising taxes or a ‘levy for employers’ who benefit from knowledgeable graduates.

Second-year English Literature student Elisa Aylmer-Hall commented on the proposed rise, ‘the rise in students continuing higher education has been such a positive trend in the past years; raising fees could reverse this progress. She believes it could ‘discourage students of lower economic backgrounds from pursuing higher education,’ which could, in turn, result in ‘higher paying jobs that require degrees’ becoming ‘reserved for the elite again.’ Elisa told Redbrick, ‘Contact hours make up a fraction of the week and a lot of the time, it feels like we’re left to our own devices.’

I hardly feel like I’m getting £9,250 worth of education, let alone more, and a rise in tuition fees would make me question whether university was worth it.

How universities are planning to tackle the issue?

Universities have been searching for other avenues to increase profits and stabilise their income. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told university leaders earlier this month that ‘these issues will get the attention and the commitment they deserve’.

Other recommendations in Universities UK’s plans include:

  • Raising maintenance loans in line with inflation
  • Reinstallation grants for students from the poorest backgrounds
  • 70% of the population aged 25 or above having at least a Level 4 qualification by 2040
  • Ensuring access to mental health services for students up to the age of 25
  • Sustaining a healthy number of international student numbers
  • Increasing tuition fees for international students

 

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