University tuition fees in Wales to increase with inflation from next year

UNIVERSITY tuition fees in Wales will rise every year in line with inflation from 2026 onwards, although that means the exact sum cannot be confirmed.

- BY ABBIE WIGHTWICK

For the 2025/26 academic year, the tuition fee for full-time undergraduate students in Wales is £9,535 per year for UK 'home' students, a rise from the previous £9,250

The move, implemented in England, will be copied in Wales, the Welsh Government has announced.

Vikki Howells, minister for further and higher education, said: "The UK Government will increase the tuition fee which may be charged in England in 2026-27 and in 2027-28. The Welsh Government raised the tuition fee cap in 2024/25 and again in 2025/26 to match those in England.

"I am of the view that the same increases to tuition fee caps announced by the UK Government are appropriate for Wales - the period of financial pressure on the sector in Wales is not over.

"I propose to increase the fee cap to the same value that will be applied in England for 2026/27, subject to the usual regulatory process. This will apply to any eligible student studying in Wales, not just Welsh students. The tuition fee loan available to Welsh students will increase accordingly.

"I shall confirm the exact amount of the increased tuition fee cap once there is clarity on the position in England."

The rise comes as universities in Wales struggle to make ends meet amid a combined deficit of £77m+.

At the same time as the inflation hike for fees, the maintenance grants will also be raised, for the first time since 2018.