University tuition fees frozen in England for the fifth year in a row

The Government had first announced in January that maximum tuition fees would be frozen for a further academic year within in its ‘Interim Conclusion of the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding’ but this has now been confirmed by minister of state for higher and further education, Michelle Donelan. 

Part-time undergraduate students in England will also see maximum tuition fees continue to be capped at £6,935/yr - as is the case now. Maximum fees for those studying postgraduate master's and doctoral degrees in England are not capped by legislation. 

The plans are expected to be written into draft legislation in November, although they will be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny. It comes as Parliament is due to today debate a petition calling on the Government to reduce university tuition fees from £9,250 to £3,000. The petition received more than 581,000 signatures. In January, the Government said reducing fees to £3,000 was not something it was considering. 

See our Student Loans guide for full help on university fees, loans and grants. 

Maximum loans for living costs to rise in England from August 2022

In addition, some students in England will be eligible for increased help to cover the cost of university from 2022/23 as the Government has confirmed the maximum loans and grants listed below will rise in line with inflation (based on the Retail Prices Index All Items Excluding Mortgage Interest Repayments forecast of 2.3% for the 2022/23 academic year): 

• Undergraduate and postgraduate loans for living costs. 

• Undergraduate and postgraduate allowances for disabled students. 

• Undergraduate grants for students with dependents. 

• Postgraduate tuition fee loans.

The DfE is, however, yet to confirm the student loan repayment thresholds from April 2022 for those who started English and Welsh undergrad courses in or after 2012, and those on postgrad courses in England and Wales. It's thought details may be announced in this week's Budget on 27 October, although that's not been confirmed - the DfE says it won't comment on speculation ahead of a fiscal review. 

Ms Donelan would only say that the Government continues to "carefully" consider the recommendations made by the so-called Augar review into higher education, and that it plans to set out a full response to the 'Review of Post-18 Education and Funding' "in due course". 

It's been reported that ministers are considering cutting the earnings threshold at which these graduates have to start repaying loans to £23,000, costing many £400/yr more - something MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis has warned against for existing students - saying it would be unfair to retrospectively change the terms of their loans.  

How tuition fees work for those studying elsewhere around the UK

Tuition fees vary depending on where in the UK you're from and where in the UK you're studying. Below we list the maximum fees that can be charged, although in some cases you may pay a lot less or even nothing at all: 

• The maximum charge for tuition fees for full-time undergrads studying in Northern Ireland is currently £9,250. We've asked the Northern Irish Government if this will remain the case in 2022/23 and what the plan is for part-time and postgrad fees for the next academic year and we'll update this story when we know more. 

• The maximum charge for tuition fees for full-time undergrads studying in Scotland will remain at £9,250 in 2022/2023. Levels for part-time and postgrad fees are not regulated by the Scottish Government and are set by individual institutions.  

• The maximum charge for tuition fees for full-time undergrads studying in Wales will remain at £9,000 in 2022/23. Levels for part-time and postgrad fees are not regulated by the Welsh Government and are set by individual institutions.