Sir Keir Starmer has broken yet another pledge as Labour hiked tuition fees to £9,535 after the Prime Minister previously voiced support for “abolishing” university costs.
University fees will rise for the first time in eight years after Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced the increase will be in line with Retail Price Index inflation.
The fee rise is expected to come into force in September 2025, meaning it will impact A-level students currently applying to universities.
Tuition fees had previously been frozen at £9,250 after being increased by £250 in 2017.
Starmer breaks yet another pledge as tuition fees rise after PM voiced support for ‘abolishing’ uni costs
PA
Confirming the rise, Phillipson said: “I understand some students may worry about the impact this increase will have on their loan debt.
“So I want to reassure students already at university: when you start repaying your loan, you will not see higher monthly repayments as a result of these changes to fee and maintenance loans.”
She added: “Student loans are not like consumer loans, monthly repayments depend on earnings, not simply the amount borrowed or interest rates.”
Labour had been tipped to introduce a steeper rise, with reports suggesting costs could hit £10,500 over the next five years.
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David Cameron’s Coalition Government tripled tuition fees from just £3,000 to £9,000 in 2012 in what was a hammer blow for Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats.
Fees witnessed a further increase to £9,250 just five years later.
However, the imminent rise in tuition fees comes just four years after the Prime Minister voiced support for abolishing university costs altogether.
Starmer, who was then running to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader, said: “[I] support the abolition of tuition fees and [want to] invest in lifelong learning.”
The Prime Minister explained he abandoned his pledge to prioritise tackling NHS waiting lists in May.
During the 2024 General Election campaign, Starmer said: “Looking at the costing for tuition fees or abolishing them, looking at the money we need to put into the NHS, I’ve taken the decision that we can’t do both. That’s a difficult decision, I’ll accept that.”
He added: “Since then [2020], there’s been huge damage to the economy and as we’ve got towards the election we’ve had to make difficult choices.”
Labour counted on the support of a plurality of young people in the 2024 General Election.
Two-in-five 18 to 24-year-olds voted Labour on July 4, YouGov’s How Britain Voted poll has revealed.
Around 18 per cent sided with the Green Party, with 16 per cent supporting the Liberal Democrats, nine per cent backing Reform UK and just eight per cent endorsing a Conservative candidate.
