Welsh University tuition fees to rise in 2025

Tuition fees are set to rise in Wales in line with increases in England.

The tuition fee limit will increase from £9,250 to £9,535, for courses beginning on or after 1 August 2025.

The limit is the maximum that universities can charge to students ordinarily resident in Wales who study in Wales or England, and for certain others who study in Wales.

This is the same level that will be charged in England.

The Welsh Government say this will "provide additional income to Welsh institutions to reflect the increased costs of education and help safeguard provision and investment in the student experience."

The increased tuition fee cap will apply to any eligible student studying in Wales, not just Welsh students.

For courses specifically designated by Welsh Ministers, the maximum tuition fee loan will increase to £6,355 for students ordinarily resident in Wales.

No changes will be made to tuition fees for part-time undergraduate study and for postgraduate study as these are not regulated.

Vikki Howells MS, the Minister for Further and Higher Education has also announced that support available for students' living costs will also increase.

The support available for eligible part-time and full-time undergraduate students from Wales will increase by 1.6%, for both new and continuing students.

A range of other grants and allowances will also be increased by 1.6% for 2025/26, including the maximum support for postgraduate masters and postgraduate doctoral study.

Vikki Howells MS said "I want to be clear that this small increase in fees should not dissuade anyone from Wales considering applying for university next year.

"An increase in fees will not increase the upfront cost of university for students. Nor will it increase their monthly repayments until they become higher earning graduates later in life, in most cases long after they have graduated.

"We also provide a partial write-off of student debt of up to £1,500, when a student begins repaying their loans, which further reduces what a graduate may repay. This is unique to Welsh students, no matter where they study."

Responding to the announcement, Tom Giffard MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Education Minister, said:

“The number of people enrolling on university courses continues to decline in Wales and this increase does little to encourage students to pursue higher education.

“Additionally, the lack of funding for apprenticeships is severely limiting the options and opportunities for young people across Wales. Labour’s National Insurance hike has only exacerbated the situation, adding to the financial pressures facing universities and reducing prospects.

“If Wales cannot provide comparable opportunities to those across the border in England, we risk a substantial brain drain. We need to support our young people with a choice of career options, so that they may reach their full potential.”

Plaid Cymru’s education spokesperson, Cefin Campbell said “The current funding model for higher education is unsustainable. Increasing tuition fees in Wales will burden students, but it became inevitable once fees were increased by Labour in England, and Welsh universities must not be disadvantaged.

“Plaid Cymru believes in the principle of universal access to Higher Education, but to do this we must secure the financial sustainability of our higher education institutions. The Government must urgently do more to support both our universities and our students.”

A Universities Wales spokesperson said they welcome the announcement.

"Our universities play a fundamental role in communities across Wales: generating jobs, transforming lives, supporting public services, and delivering world-leading research and innovation.

"The additional in-year investment of £10m in higher education, alongside the alignment of fees in Wales with elsewhere in the UK, will provide much needed investment to our universities.

"We will continue to work with Welsh Government and Medr to articulate the scale of the challenges that face our universities along with identifying long-term solutions to ensure the sustainability of our universities."

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