Policy paper

Changes to tuition fees: 2025 to 2026 academic year

Updated 5 November 2024

Applies to England

For the 2025 to 2026 academic year the following changes will apply to maximum tuition fees and tuition fee loans for:

  • full-time undergraduate courses
  • full-time accelerated undergraduate courses
  • part-time undergraduate courses

These changes will apply from 1 August 2025.

The government intends to lay regulations implementing these changes for the 2025 to 2026 academic year later in 2024 and early in 2025. These regulations will be subject to Parliamentary procedure.

Separate information is available on changes to fees and loans for foundation years.

Courses offered by approved (fee cap) providers

Maximum tuition fees for undergraduate students starting or continuing full-time and part-time courses at approved (fee cap) providers[footnote 1] in the 2025 to 2026 academic year will be increased by 3.1%.

The maximum tuition fee in the 2025 to 2026 academic year will depend on whether an approved (fee cap) provider has:

  • a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) award from the Office for Students (OfS)
  • an access and participation plan (APP) from the OfS

Providers with TEF and an APP

The maximum tuition fee in the 2025 to 2026 academic year for approved (fee cap) providers with a TEF award and with an APP will increase to:

  • £9,535 for standard full-time courses
  • £11,440 for full-time accelerated courses
  • £7,145 for part-time courses

Providers without TEF and with an APP

The maximum tuition fee in the 2025 to 2026 academic year for approved (fee cap) providers without a TEF award and with an APP will increase to:

  • £9,275 for standard full-time courses
  • £11,130 for full-time accelerated courses
  • £6,955 for part-time courses

Providers with TEF and without an APP

The maximum tuition fee in the 2025 to 2026 academic year for approved (fee cap) providers with a TEF award and without an APP will increase to:

  • £6,355 for standard full-time courses
  • £7,625 for full-time accelerated courses
  • £4,765 for part-time courses

Providers without TEF or an APP

The maximum tuition fee in the 2025 to 2026 academic year for approved (fee cap) providers without a TEF award and without an APP will increase to:

  • £6,185 for standard full-time courses
  • £7,420 for full-time accelerated courses
  • £4,635 for part-time courses

Arrangements for different study patterns

Students undertaking the final year of a standard full-time course completed in less than 15 weeks will be charged up to 50% of the maximum tuition fee.

Students undertaking a work placement year for a sandwich course will be charged up to 20% of the maximum standard full-time or full-time accelerated tuition fee.

Students undertaking an overseas year of study or Turing year will be charged up to 15% of the maximum standard full-time or full-time accelerated tuition fee.

Eligible students undertaking courses at approved (fee cap) providers[footnote 1] will qualify for tuition fee loans to meet the full cost of their tuition in the 2025 to 2026 academic year.

Courses offered by approved providers

Full-time and part-time courses offered by approved providers[footnote 2] are not subject to maximum tuition fee limits.

Undergraduate students starting or continuing full-time and part-time courses at approved providers in the 2025 to 2026 academic year will qualify for tuition fee loans towards their tuition.

Maximum tuition fee loans in the 2025 to 2026 academic year for courses at approved providers will be increased by 3.1%.

Providers with TEF

The maximum tuition fee loan in the 2025 to 2026 academic year for courses at approved providers[footnote 2] with a TEF will be:

  • £6,355 for standard full-time courses
  • £7,625 for full-time accelerated courses
  • £4,765 for part-time courses

Providers without TEF

The maximum tuition fee loan in the 2025 to 2026 academic year for courses at approved providers without a TEF will be:

  • £6,185 for standard full-time courses
  • £7,420 for full-time accelerated courses
  • £4,635 for part-time courses

Arrangements for different study patterns

Students undertaking the final year of a standard full-time course at an approved provider, completed in less than 15 weeks, will qualify for a tuition fee loan of up to 50% of the maximum tuition fee loan.

Students undertaking a work placement year, for a sandwich course at an approved provider, will qualify for a tuition fee loan of up to 20% of the maximum tuition fee loan for standard full-time or full-time accelerated courses.

Students undertaking an overseas year of study, for a course offered by an approved provider, will qualify for a tuition fee loan of up to 15% of the maximum tuition fee loan for standard full-time or full-time accelerated courses.

  1. a university or college registered with the Office for Students for whom maximum fee limits apply  2

  2. a university or college registered with the Office for Students for whom maximum fee limits do not apply  2