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University tuition fees to rise with inflation every year in UK

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London, UK
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The UK government has drawn yet more backlash from young people, with the news that university tuition fees are due to increase in line with inflation from 2026 onwards.

We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but things aren’t getting any easier for students in England.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has confirmed rumblings that university tuition fees are set to rise in line with inflation. From 2026 onwards, the bill is expected to increase yearly – having gone up for the first time in a decade last year.

Tuition fees in England for this academic year are capped at £9,535, but this total will be hiked up by roughly £400 next year if estimates are accurate. The independent regulator for higher education in England, the Office for Students (OfS), argued that 43% of universities would have been in deficit without the intervention.

There are ambiguous terms stating that institutions that fall below a certain ‘quality standard’ won’t incur larger fees, but how exactly a uni would fall short of this barometer isn’t clear. ‘Charging full fees will be conditional on high quality teaching,’ Phillipson vaguely declared in Parliament.

Doubling down on its controversial funding model, the government claims that raising fees is the only way to provide universities with financial sustainability, given more than 12,000 job cuts have been made in the sector in 2025, according to figures from the University and College Union.

Maintenance loans are being increased to help students supplement rising costs of living, or to put students in even greater levels of debt – depending on whether your glass is half full or empty. Either way, this grant limit will increase following the Autumn budget on 26 November.

In the hallowed halls of Westminster, the news has been well received, but for students it feels like yet another banana skin in the race to gain any semblance of financial stability. The average student already graduates with over £45,000 in debt, and the job market is in dire straits both in terms competition for roles and real living wage.

The flimsy upside of better quality teaching is also dubious. The vast majority of university students in the UK are already graduating with either a first class degree or a 2:1, and given the conditions surrounding tuition are so hazy, what’s to say fees wont be increased across the board?

Once again, it feels like students are being made to pick up the flack for systemic and structural issues. Universities are underfunded, graduates are paid poorly, and housing is grossly unaffordable. With such sizable odds stacked against them, it’s no wonder young people are rejecting further education for paid work.

It’s a risk vs reward situation, and the former is making a stronger case by the year. Without wanting to sound like an old stick in the mud, I worry for my daughter’s future.

Editor in Chief London, UK

I’m Jamie (He/Him), the Editor in Chief at Thred. Keeping up with gaming, tech, and culture is my thing, but when away from my keyboard, you’ll probably find me wrapped around a large Tango ice blast at the latest mediocre horror flick. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

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