Policy paper

Tuition fees and loans for foundation years: 2025 to 2026 academic year

Updated 21 November 2024

Applies to England

Changes for classroom-based subjects

From the start of the 2025 to 2026 academic year new tuition fee and tuition fee loan limits are being introduced for foundation years in some subjects.

Students will pay a reduced tuition fee if they are doing a foundation year at an English higher education provider in a classroom-based subject, such as:

• business
• social science
• humanities

These students will also receive a reduced tuition fee loan.

Other subjects

Maximum tuition fees and tuition fee loans for foundation years in non-classroom-based subjects will increase by 3.1% to £9,535 from the start of the 2025 to 2026 academic year. These subjects include:

• science
• engineering
• medical subjects
• creative and performing arts

Separate information is available on changes to tuition fees: 2026 to 2026 academic year.

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.

Further guidance on tuition fees for foundation years is available.

Classroom-based foundation years at approved (fee cap) providers

The maximum tuition fee in the 2025 to 2026 academic year for a classroom-based foundation year, for courses offered by approved (fee cap) providers^{[footnote 1]}, depends on whether the 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 for a classroom-based foundation year, in the 2025 to 2026 academic year for approved (fee cap) providers with a TEF award and with an APP, will be:

• £5,760 for standard full-time courses
• £4,315 for part-time courses

Providers without TEF and with an APP

The maximum tuition fee, for a classroom-based foundation year, in the 2025 to 2026 academic year for approved (fee cap) providers without a TEF award and with an APP will be:

• £5,605 for standard full-time courses
• £4,200 for part-time courses

Providers with TEF and without an APP

The maximum tuition fee, for a classroom-based foundation year, in the 2025 to 2026 academic year for approved (fee cap) providers with a TEF award and without an APP will be:

• £3,835 for standard full-time courses
• £2,875 for part-time courses

Providers without TEF or an APP

The maximum tuition fee, for a classroom-based foundation year, in the 2025 to 2026 academic year for approved (fee cap) providers without a TEF award and without an APP will be:

• £3,735 for standard full-time courses
• £2,800 for part-time courses

Tuition fee loans

Eligible students undertaking classroom-based foundation years for courses offered by approved (fee cap) providers^{[footnote 1]} in England will qualify for tuition fee loans to meet the full cost of their tuition in the 2025 to 2026 academic year.

Students who live in England and apply to study a classroom-based foundation year in another part of the UK will also qualify for tuition fee loans of up to £5,760.

Students should check with their provider to understand whether this loan will cover the full cost of their tuition fees.

Classroom-based foundation years at approved providers

Lower maximum fee loans will apply for foundation years in classroom-based subjects offered by approved providers^{[footnote 2]} starting in the 2025 to 2026 academic year.

The maximum tuition fee loan in the 2025 to 2026 academic year for a classroom-based foundation year, for courses offered by approved providers^{[footnote 2]} with a TEF, will be:

• £3,835 for standard full-time courses
• £2,875 for part-time courses

The maximum tuition fee loan in the 2025 to 2026 academic year for a classroom-based foundation year, for courses offered by approved providers without a TEF, will be:

• £3,735 for standard full-time courses
• £2,800 for part-time 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