The higher education sector is facing a challenging period. Amid rising costs, a constrained funding environment, and inflationary pressures, many universities are grappling with significant financial strains. For the first time in over eight years, the government has responded to this by making the tough but necessary decision to increase tuition fees for undergraduate home students by £285 from next academic year.  

While I know that this will not feel like good news, I still firmly believe that your university education remains one of the most valuable investments you will make in your future. All the evidence shows that it provides you with the best foundation upon which to build your future, both in work and life, and your earning potential increases with your level of learning. And of course, it will be up to us to ensure that you have the kind of university experience that helps you achieve the dreams and ambitions you have for that future. 

Our tuition fees will rise in line with the cap increase from the next academic year, subject to parliamentary approval. We have made the decision that both new and current home students will pay the increased fees from September 2025. You’ll find more detailed information on Student News.  

I expect many of you have questions about our approach to fee setting and want to understand what this means for the future of higher education. With that in mind, there are still a small number of places left at my open meeting this week, where you’ll have the opportunity to ask me questions directly. You can also submit a question, or upvote other students’ questions. We’re also planning other ways to discuss these important issues, including with Carol Prokopyszyn (our Chief Financial Officer).  

There are two additional things that I want to emphasise. The first is that, independent of the Government’s decision and together with the Students’ Union, we will be significantly increasing the household income thresholds at which students are eligible for bursary support, and we have already increased the annual bursary and scholarship amounts that we offer. More details on that will follow next week. I was also pleased that the maintenance loans will increase at the same rate as tuition fees, which is something that myself and the Students’ Union been publicly and privately advocating for.  

Secondly, I ask all of you to engage in our current strategy process, and with your Students’ Union representatives, on what you would like your experience of university to look and feel like given this decision – not just for you, but also for students that will follow in your footsteps over the next decade.  

If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me, April McMahon (our Vice-President for Teaching and Learning), or the Students’ Union. 

Best wishes,  

Duncan Ivison 
President and Vice-Chancellor