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Welsh tuition fees to rise by nearly £300 a year

PA Media The back of three students wearing red, purple and black cap and gowns. PA Media
The rise is in line with an increase in England but it is the second time fees have gone up in a year

University fees in Wales are set to rise to £9,535 a year - nearly a £300 increase - from September 2025.

The Welsh government announcement brings tuition costs in Wales in line with a hike in fees already announced by the UK government for universities in England.

It is the second increase in charges for Welsh courses within a year, after the maximum charge went up from £9000 to £9250 from September 2024.

Vikki Howells, minister for further and higher education, said it was a "difficult but necessary decision".

Ms Howells said the decision would not increase the up front costs of university for students and would not increase their monthly repayments as graduates.

A 1.6% increase to maintenance support for undergraduates was also announced.

The maximum amount of support for postgraduate study will also increase by 1.6%, with the same level of increase in grants for students with dependants and those with a disability.

Ms Howells said raising fees was necessary "to ensure Welsh higher education institutions remain competitive with those in other parts of the UK".

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

She added there would be an extra £20m in funding for Medr, which funds post-16 education, to support further and higher education.

Student at Gower college, Sophia, 16, from Swansea, said she wasn't pleased with the increase as "parents struggle with money as it is".

She said parents wouldn't want to take the dream of going to university away from their child because of additional financial pressures.

Sophia says the increase would see people needing to juggle jobs to be able to afford it which will "100% put people off going".

"To have your dreamed crushed by money, it's going to be a struggle for a lot of people." she added.

Picture of 17 year old college student Sophia, who has brown hair slicked back in a ponytail. She is sat on a black leather chair, smiling towards the camera and wearing a zip up black nike hoodie.
Student Sophia said things are difficult enough as they are so the rise may see people put off going to University

But 17-year-old Ella from Swansea, who is also a student at Gower college, was unsure if she would struggle to balance costs in university.

"I don't know if I would have to get a part time job to help with that but it's not easy as student," she said.

Ella added that the raised tuition fees might cast some doubt over her choice whether to go, but she wants to get the most education she can before getting a job.

Picture of 17 year old college student Ella, who has bright blonde hair and is smiling towards the camera and wearing a zip up pink jacket.
Ella said she still wants to get the furthest education she can before getting a job

Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru's education spokesperson, said the increase would "burden students with even greater debt".

Tom Giffard, the Welsh Conservative's education spokesperson said the hike "does little to encourage students to pursue higher education" amid a drop in enrolments.

"If Wales cannot provide comparable opportunities to those across the border in England, we risk a substantial brain drain," he said.

A spokesperson for Universities Wales said it welcomed the announcement "of additional support, which comes at a critical time for Welsh universities".

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

Gareth Lloyd from UCU Cymru said they welcome the additional in-year funding for universities and colleges as they are "suffering from an increased workload."

In a statement, he added: "We need to acknowledge that the crisis in our universities can only be resolved through a new system of UK funding which equitably spreads the cost of higher education between all its beneficiaries."