UK hikes university tuition for the first time in eight years

International students usually pay more than double the fees for domestic students, making them a major source of revenue for UK universities.

Universities in the United Kingdom will in the next academic session increase tuition fees after ministers approved it for the first time in eight years.

The tuition fees for domestic students capped at £9,250 since 2017 is now set to rise to £9,535 next year, the country’s education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, announced Monday. Ms Phillipson said the 3.1 per cent increments linked to inflation “was not an easy decision”.

She added that the government would announce further “major reform” for long-term investment in universities in the coming months.

International students usually pay more than double the fees for domestic students, making them a major source of revenue for UK universities.

It is, however, unclear yet how much the increments would affect international students.

Tough time for UK universities drives increment

UK universities are currently facing a tough time raising funds, especially after a drop in the number of immigrant students that followed a tightening immigration policy that prevents international students from migrating with their families.

The UK is Nigerian international students’ top destination for study. However, a currency crisis in Nigeria that followed the floating of the naira last year and the unfriendly immigration policy have combined to reduce the number of Nigerian students choosing the UK as study destinations.

Figures from the Home Office showed last month that the number of student visa applications made dropped by 16 per cent between July and September compared to the same period last year. According to the Home Office, the figure dropped from 312,500 in 2023 to 263,400 this year within the same period.

A group of 141 UK universities said in a proposal to the government in September that higher tuition fees and direct government funding are needed to halt a growing deficit, the BBC reported.

The proposal quoted by the BBC noted a fee rise and more government investment would ensure the sector “does not slide into decline”.