Increased university fees could deter working-class students

Students across Salford will see changes to England’s tuition fees and maintenance loans, as they rise in line with inflation.

The changes for future students will be brought into effect from the beginning of the 2025/26 academic year.

Both the maintenance loan and maximum tuition fees universities can charge will rise by 3.1%, in line with inflation.

The changes to the England’s tuition fees and maintenance loans has caused some unsettlement from prospective university students, as Leah May, 17, from Walkden, discussed her worries about the new student fee increases.

Leah said: “Personally I have always wanted to go to university regardless of the costs but it’s frustrating either way and indirectly affects working class students to advance and go off to higher education.”

Currently Leah attends Xaverian College, known for having high success in exam results. It has led so many into the path of university.

But with the student fees increasing more and more students are deterred from choosing the university pathway, as Leah continued: “It’s a hard thing anyway the class divide at universities but all this is doing now is widening the gap.”

The decision by the government intends to ease pressure from students by increasing maintenance loans to match the higher fees and living expenses.

The 3.1% rise will provide as much as £414 extra per year to help students from the lowest income families.

The decision to increase maximum tuition fee limits has been set in place to help universities cover the cost of providing an education.

Fees have not been increased for seven years, meaning that they have not kept pace with inflation.

The fee increases have come just at the point where many college students will be starting to fill out UCAS applications, preparing for the possibility of going to university.

This may cause some, particularly from lower-income backgrounds, to change their minds and think of other options, for instance, apprenticeships or just heading straight for employment.

Maximum fees for full time standard courses have also been raised by 3.1%, taking the current £9,250 total to the new £9,535.

The cap for part-time students will be going up by an extra £210 per year, making the maximum fee limit cost £7,145.

Salford is known to be more of a deprived and working class area, which leads to not a lot of young adults going to university as they struggle to afford it.

Leah said: “With the £300 increase it adds up with the already big debt that is carried with you after you have finished university, and how the debt accumulates over time.

“Knowing you can’t afford to pay back the debt is scary.”

Listen to Leah speak more about her issues with the increases of fees below.