The government’s secretary of education, Bridget Phillipson has confirmed university fees are set to rise – although what price student fees will rise to is yet to be confirmed.
Phillipson also added that maintenance loans will also rise in line with inflation, although some students are concerned that, even with the hike, they would not be able to afford university life.
Research shows 68% of students are turning to part-time work in order to cover rising costs.
“I was really dependent on my student finance because it covered my rent completely, but I really struggled with buying food until I got a job,” reflects Livvy Walker, who graduated from the University of East London in 2024. “After I stopped getting my maintenance loan I freaked out, I made a lot of extravagant purchases with my student finance and if I didn’t have a part time job to support me I don’t know where I’d be now.”
Currently, university students receive maintenance loans of up to £14,000 spread out over three payments each academic year during their course. Students only need to pay back student loans when they are earning over a specific threshold, and any debt not paid back within 25 to 30 years is cancelled.
A survey carried out by Save The Student (STS) found that students studying inside of London spend an average of £1269 a month on rent.
There’s also fears on whether getting into this level of debt is worth it; 63% of students are stressed about their repayments and don’t think they’ll ever fully repay their student loan, while 56% of students do not believe they will find work after graduating.
When asked why university fees were rising, Phillipson told ITV News: “Under the last government fees did not go up at all, which meant the value of the fee over time has massively eroded.”
But she also touched on the importance of supporting students who need help covering costs, adding: “I also announced that maintenance loans would go up the same way, but we’ll also be bringing in maintenance grants for less well-off students.”