Universities UK, a group representing 141 higher education institutions, has called for an increase to tuition fees, according to a proposal seen by BBC Radio 4’s The Today Programme’. This would be to combat the loss universities have experienced due to tuition fees not increasing with inflation.
Universities UK (UUK) is the collective voice of over 141 universities. On their website, they say they “work with the government and higher education sector to champion UK higher education”.
Their website can be found here: Universities UK website.
International students at UK universities pay a lot more than home students, over double the amount. This is why UK universities have become more reliant on international students – as their fees help curb the losses caused by inflation.
An international student studying philosophy at The University of Sheffield has to pay £22,680 per year in 2024 in tuition fees. In comparison, home students are paying £9,250 a year no matter which course they do.
Other courses at Sheffield cost even more. For biological sciences, the fee is £29,110 for international students – over three times that of home students. For medicine, the fee is even more, at £43,150 per year in 2024.
The last major increase to tuition fees for home students was in 2012, which saw a rise from £3,000 to £9,000. Tuition fees for home students were increased slightly in 2017, from £9,000 to £9,250.
Since 2012, inflation has meant the cost of everyday items has risen around 40%. If tuition fees had increased at the same rate, they would need to be around £3,500 more than they are currently. This would make them approximately £12,500.
Image credit – Universities UK
