The Education Secretary has announced a tuition fee rise in England for the first time in eight years
Fees will go up going up by £285 to £9,535 next year.
Fees have been frozen at £9,250 after tuition fees were first introduced under Tony Blair at £3,000.
Universities are dealing with an ongoing funding crisis, driven chiefly by a huge drop in overseas students.
Plans to reinstate maintenance grants for poorer students have been dropped after Treasury opposition
“This is not a decision I take any pleasure in and is not a decision that I want to take, but I’m determined to secure the long term financial capability of our world-leading universities,” Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said.
Speaking ahead of Phillipson’s statement,Kier Starmer’s spokesman said: “Universities have suffered a significant real terms decline in their income and the gap between disadvantaged students and their peers is the highest on record.”
He added: “The government is determined to take the tough decisions necessary to put universities on a secure footing so that in turn they can deliver more opportunities for students and growth for our economy.”
