Increase in university fees to be announced, Sky News understands

An increase in university tuition fees in England is expected to be announced for the first time in more than seven years, Sky News understands.

Fees have been capped at an annual level of £9,250 since the 2017/18 academic year.

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It's expected that Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson will confirm the move in a House of Commons statement later.

Any such measure is likely to provoke a strong backlash, given Sir Keir Starmer had pledged to abolish tuition fees when he stood to be Labour leader back in 2020.

The prime minister rowed back on that pledge early last year, saying it was no longer affordable because of the "different financial situation" the country was in.

However at the time he said Labour would set out a "fairer solution" if it won the election.

Labour's 2024 manifesto also says that "the current higher education funding settlement does not work for the taxpayer, universities, staff, or students".

It adds: "Labour will act to create a secure future for higher education and the opportunities it creates across the UK."

Universities have been dealing with a funding crisis, largely driven by a huge drop in overseas students.

Rules brought in by Rishi Sunak's government made it harder for international students, who pay higher fees than British ones, to bring their families with them to the UK.

Ms Phillipson has previously said universities should seek to manage their own budgets before hoping for a bailout from the taxpayer, while higher education minister Baroness Jacqui Smith has refused to rule out some institutions having to close down.

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