It’s official: Keir Starmer has resigned. This news follows disastrous results for the Labour Party in the local elections last month, and increasing pressure for him to resign from other MPs. The now former Prime Minister came into power less than two years ago, after a landslide victory for Labour. Across his time in office, Starmer faced significant criticism from university students facing rising costs of living and studying, amongst other things. Here’s some of the most notable moments from Keir Starmer’s government for students across the last couple of years:
Raising tuition fees
During his bid for leadership of the Labour Party back in 2020, Starmer set out ten key pledges, with one of them being abolishing tuition fees for university students. The abolishment of tuition fees, which in 2020 were capped at £9,250 and had been for three years, was a key part of Labour manifestos in 2019 and 2015. He then u-turned on this pledge in 2023, instead shifting his focus to cutting down NHS waiting times. Starmer cited the economy as why focusing on both wouldn’t be feasible. Tuition fees were introduced by Labour in 1998, and tripled in cost during the Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition government in the early 2010s.
In 2024, tuition fees were raised from £9,250 to £9,535, with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson saying these changes were to meet inflation demands and to support universities facing funding problems. The decision was understandably met with frustration from university students across the UK, with many already facing considerable financial strains, due to rising living costs and student finance already not covering rent and basic necessities. Tuition fees currently sit at £9,790.
Student loans
In accordance with inflation and rising tuition fees, Starmer’s government also increased maximum maintenance loans for students. The amount was raised from £10,227 to £10,554 for lower-income students – the student loan system is determined by parent’s incomes, so those with lower amounts of student loan are expected to, in theory, receive additional funding from parents or alternative sources.
The repayment threshold for student loans was decreased, or frozen, depending on which student loan plan somebody is on. Currently, the threshold for plan 2 student loan (issued between 2012 and 2023) is frozen at £29,385, and will be frozen for the next three years. Plan 2 and postgraduate student loan interest rates were also capped at 6% this year, in order to protect graduates from “the potential of inflation pressures due to the situation in the Middle East.”
Student renting
The introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act in May was the biggest shake up of the rental sector in over 40 years, and was arguably one Starmer’s biggest successes during his time as Prime Minister. Notably, the Act abolished no-fault evictions, and replaced periodic tenancies with rolling ones. The Act is designed to protect renters from exploitative landlords and poor living conditions, an issue routinely faced by students in Sheffield and beyond. Further information about the Renters’ Rights Act can be found on the University’s website.
Modern targets for higher education
A consistent message throughout Keir Starmer’s time as PM has been about getting young people into higher education, especially through alternative routes to university. Focus has shifted towards apprenticeships and technical skills, and ensuring that both routes are seen as equally valuable. In 2025, he scrapped Labour’s 1999 target of having 50% of young people in university, describing the target as outdated. He instead set a new target of having two-thirds of young people gaining university degrees or technical qualifications through apprenticeships by age 25. In December 2025, the Government invested £725 million into apprenticeship schemes, in a bid to tackle rising numbers of youth unemployment.
The re-introduction of “maintenance grants”
Maintenance grants were previously granted to students from lower-income backgrounds; unlike modern student loans, the fee didn’t need to be repaid. This initiative was scrapped in 2016 by former chancellor George Osborne, who described them as “unaffordable” to the taxpayer. The maintenance grant was replaced by the repayable maintenance loans we know today.
This scheme has been pledged to return for the 2028/2029 academic year, with a specific focus on students on “priority” courses – this appears to be degrees such as nursing, engineering and computing.
What now?
During his resignation speech, the former PM set out a timeline for the forthcoming leadership contest, with nominations opening on July 9 and closing by mid-July. Although nominations will be open for contest, if one singular person receives enough backing, or is the only person standing, they will effectively become PM. Currently, Andy Burnham stands out as the clear favourite, following his historic by-election win in Makerfield last week. The former Greater Manchester mayor has seen surges of support across the Labour Party, including from former Health Secretary Wes Streeting – despite previous reports of his planned leadership ambitions.
Forge plans on covering the leadership race across the next couple of weeks – follow us on Instagram for any updates!
