Students Across England Hit Again as Tuition Fees Rise with Inflation

The government has confirmed that university tuition fees in England will rise every year in line with inflation from 2026 onwards.

While ministers claim this will stabilise higher education funding, it once again leaves students across England paying the highest price for a system that remains deeply unfair.

Under the new plans, only universities that meet so-called “tough new quality thresholds” will be allowed to charge the maximum fees. These thresholds are tied to standards in teaching and graduate outcomes. Those institutions that fall short will face financial penalties and restrictions on student recruitment.

Tuition fees in England already stand at £9,535 a year, the highest in the UK. The new system will automatically raise that figure annually, most likely by inflation rates, meaning students could soon be paying close to £10,000 a year just for tuition.

Maintenance loans will also rise with inflation, but this does little to offset the growing debt burden facing students in England.

Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland all have fairer arrangements. Scottish students studying in Scotland pay no tuition fees. Welsh students receive stronger financial support. Northern Irish students pay significantly less. Once again, students in England are being treated unfairly.

The government claims this reform will improve quality and value for money, yet it offers no guarantee that higher fees will lead to better teaching or employment outcomes. Instead, the real motive is to plug the growing financial gap in English universities, many of which are struggling after years of frozen fees and declining international recruitment.

This approach effectively transfers the cost of underfunded higher education directly onto students in England and their families. It deepens inequality, discourages working-class students from entering higher education, and undermines the principle that access to learning should be based on ability, not income.

The Workers of England Union stands firmly against this divisive and unfair system. Education is not a product to be sold at the highest price but only in England.

Stephen Morris, General Secretary of the Workers of England Union, said:

“It is disgraceful that once again students across England are singled out to carry the financial burden of a broken funding model. Tuition fees have become a tax on ambition. The Workers of England Union will continue to campaign for a fair, fully funded higher education system that gives every young person equal opportunity, regardless of where they live.”