University tuition fees rise to £9,250 for current students

Universities minister Jo Johnson has published a statement setting out plans to link higher fees to better teaching.

The fees will increase by inflation in subsequent years.

The Liberal Democrats say they will force a vote by MPs in the autumn in a bid to stop raising the current £9,000 limit.

Labour's education spokesman Gordon Marsden said that "nothing less than a full debate" on raising fees would be acceptable and that ministers had so far "neither the guts nor the courtesy" to have an open debate on their intentions to raise fees.

Mr Marsden accused ministers of a "disgraceful" attempt to "sneak out" the increase on the last day before Parliament's summer break.

The National Union of Students and the UCU lecturers' union have announced a protest demonstration in November.

The inflation-linked rise represents a 2.8% increase and if that continued would mean fees rising above £10,000 in the next few years.

The government says the increase can apply to students who have already begun courses - but this will depend on the terms of student contracts in individual universities.

Royal Holloway and the University of Kent have to still to decide on whether to charge higher fees for current students, but expect to apply them to new students starting in 2017, if the fee limit increase goes ahead.

The University of Surrey will not increase fees for its current undergraduates, but fees will increase each year for students starting in 2017.

The government says if the fee rise is challenged in the House of Commons, there is likely to be a vote by MPs in the autumn.

The Liberal Democrats have said they will fight the plans "every step of the way".

Angela Rayner, Labour's shadow education secretary, said "these further increases in fees will be a barrier to aspiration, making it even more difficult for those from low and middle-income families to get the best education they deserve".

Source: bbc.com