Tuition fees and maintenance loans to rise in Wales – here's what it means for you

This is the second year in a row that the tuition fee cap has risen in Wales after it was increased from £9,200 to £9,250 for the 2024/25 academic year.  

Tuition fees will rise by £285 for full-time students in Wales 

Tuition fees will rise by 3.1% in 2025/26 in line with the increase in England that was announced last month. This is based on a prediction for the measure of inflation known as the ‘Retail Prices Index excluding mortgage interest payments’ (RPIX) for the middle of that academic year. According to the Welsh Government, increasing tuition fees will help it support "a sustainable higher education sector". 

This increase applies to undergraduates from anywhere in the UK who are starting or continuing full-time courses in Wales. Part-time and postgraduate courses are NOT affected by this tuition fee rise as these aren't regulated by the Welsh Government, but separately universities could choose to change them. 

However, as MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis has repeatedly pointed out, higher tuition fees DON’T impact the amount most people pay each year.  

That’s because fees are paid for you by the Student Loans Company and you repay afterwards only if you earn over the threshold. The amount you repay each year (9% over the threshold) solely depends on what you earn, not on what you borrow. See our guide for full info on how Student loans in Wales currently work. 

Student maintenance loans and grants will also rise by 1.6% 

Alongside a tuition fee loan, undergraduate students are entitled to a loan to help with living costs, known as a 'maintenance loan'. What help you'll get depends on where in the UK you're from, NOT where you're studying. 

Full-time Welsh students can usually get a mix of a non-repayable grant (called the Welsh Government Learning Grant) and a maintenance loan, which IS repayable. The proportion of grant and loan varies based on your household income, but you get the same total amount of support.  

Here’s how the amounts are changing for those starting and continuing their studies: 

Other grants and allowances, including the maximum support for postgraduate masters and postgraduate doctoral study, will also be increased by 1.6%, as will grants for those with dependents and students with disabilities. 

The 1.6% rise is based on the forecast for the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure of inflation for the first quarter of 2026. This is the first time that CPI inflation has been used to calculate an increase in maintenance support in Wales – previously, it used a measure of inflation called RPIX.  

The Welsh Government said CPI is "a fairer, more accurate and consistent measure of inflation that reflects the real cost of living for students". 

How tuition fees and maintenance loans work for those studying elsewhere in the UK 

Tuition fees and maintenance loans vary depending on where in the UK you're from and where you're studying. Last month, it was announced that tuition fees in England would rise to a maximum of £9,535 a year in 2025/26, and maintenance loans would increase by 3.1%.

The Scottish Government will also raise tuition fees to a maximum of £9,535 a year in 2025/26 for students from England, Northern Ireland, and Wales. However, tuition will remain free for students from Scotland studying at Scottish universities. Changes to maintenance loans have yet to be confirmed for Scottish students.

In Northern Ireland, a 2.3% tuition fees rise has been put forward for 2025/26, though this still needs to be voted on by the Northern Irish Assembly, which is expected to take place in January. This will apply to Northern Irish students who are studying in Northern Ireland. A decision on maintenance loans for Northern Irish students studying across the UK has yet to be made. 

For full info on how the systems work in the current 2024/25 academic year, see our guides on student loans in  Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. To find out how much support you could receive towards your living costs, use our University Parental Contribution calculator.