The UK government is increasing the maintenance loan that helps students with living expenses in recognition of the impact of the cost of living.

It will also be increasing tuition fees to support universities with covering the cost of providing education and help ensure the financial stability of the university sector. Fees have not been increased in 7 years, which means they have not kept in line with inflation.

What is changing 

The tuition fee cap (the maximum that can be charged) for UK students studying full-time in England is increasing by £285, from £9,250 to £9,535 per year.

Maintenance loans for English students are increasing by up to £317 a year. This applies to students living away from home and studying outside of London. 

When these changes will happen 

The increases are subject to further parliamentary approval, which is expected in the new year, 2025. The government has proposed the increases come into effect from the 2025/26 academic year and will apply to both new and returning students.

We will decide on whether to apply the increases at the University of Bristol through our usual governance procedures. We will make this decision after parliament has approved the changes. 

We will write to students affected by the change when we know the outcome. 

What this will mean for your loan repayments 

After you graduate, your monthly student loan repayments will not increase because of these changes.

You only have to start repaying your loan when you earn more than £25,000 per year. Your monthly repayments are fixed at 9% of your salary above this threshold. Any balance left after 40 years will be cleared. This means that only higher earners who clear their balance within the 40 years will pay more overall. 

Support if you are worried about money 

If you are worried about money visit our money advice pages. These include advice about: 

• Money worries
• Money saving tips
• Budget and living expenses