Many universities increase tuition fees from 2026

(Dan Tri) - The British government has just approved a plan to allow universities to adjust tuition fees based on inflation, along with requirements to ensure training quality.

Accordingly, universities in the UK will be allowed to increase tuition fees in line with inflation from 2026, provided they meet certain quality standards.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the new policy would help schools maintain financial stability while ensuring students had a learning experience that was worth their money.

Ms Phillipson said that universities that charge high fees must demonstrate quality and meet student expectations. The move is aimed at raising standards and focusing more on skills that the economy needs.

Specifically, educational institutions in the UK will increase tuition fees in the first two years. In subsequent years, the increase will be based on the quality of teaching, student learning outcomes and student support of each school.

Qualified universities in the UK will be allowed to adjust tuition fees from 2026.

University tuition fees in England have risen to £9,535 since September, the first increase in eight years. However, the Office for Students (OfS) has warned that around 43% of universities are at risk of financial deficit without additional support. To ease the pressure on students' spending, living costs will be adjusted automatically each year, prioritising low-income households.

“We do not allow schools to arbitrarily increase tuition fees if they do not meet quality standards. Underperforming units may be subject to closer monitoring and even financial or regulatory sanctions,” Ms Phillipson also stressed.

At the same time, the British Government also tightened management of training franchises to ensure that the state budget is used for the right purposes.

Vivienne Stern, CEO of Universities UK, said the new strategy was a significant overhaul of the UK higher education system. She said universities were a national asset and that to promote innovation, they needed to be given the best conditions to operate effectively.

The tuition fee plan is part of a comprehensive reform of higher education. The proposal would see V-levels (vocational and skills certificates) replace around 900 existing technical qualifications, including BTECs – the most popular vocational training programme in the UK.

Professor Peter Urwin, an applied economist at the University of Westminster, warned that the reforms could disrupt post-secondary education. “The government is right to highlight the role of vocational training in improving employment opportunities,” he said. “But the sector has been through a lot of change and new initiatives will be hard to address the growing number of young people not in education, work or training.”

The report also recommends implementing “stepping stone” certificates for students who fail GCSE maths and English, helping them consolidate their knowledge and better prepare for re-examinations.

The new proposals show that the UK is moving towards a more sustainable higher education and post-secondary system, both tightening quality and expanding learning options for learners, in line with the requirements of socio-economic development in the new period.

Thu Trang

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/nhieu-truong-dai-hoc-tang-hoc-phi-tu-nam-2026-20251025214512833.htm