Higher Education Student Support
(1 month ago)
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The Secretary of State for Education (Bridget Phillipson)
The Government announced on 4 November a significant package of measures to support students and stabilise the university sector.
We need to put our world-leading higher education sector on a secure footing in order to face the challenges of the next decade. Maximum fees for the 2025-26 academic year will increase by forecast inflation, 3.1%, providing additional financial help for higher education providers after seven years of frozen fees, which have resulted in their value falling by an estimated 28%.
The 3.1% increase to maximum fees for 2025-26 will help cement higher education providers’ roles as engines of growth in the heart of communities across the country and will mean they can continue to deliver high-quality education that boosts the life chances of those who choose this path.
Maximum tuition fees for a standard full-time course and the subsidised up-front loans available to students to pay their tuition will be increased by 3.1% to £9,535 for a standard full-time course; to £11,440 for a full-time accelerated course and to £7,145 for a part-time course for the 2025-26 academic year.
The increase in maximum tuition fees for 2025-26 applies to new and continuing students; however, higher education providers are autonomous and responsible for setting their own fees up to the maximum amounts.
In deciding whether or not to increase fees, providers will want to ensure that they can continue to deliver courses which are fit for purpose and help students achieve their ambitions. For continuing students, providers will also depend on their individual contracts with students, and providers will wish to make their own legal assessment of contracts when considering fee increases.
From the start of the 2025-26 academic year, a lower maximum fee limit of £5,760 is being introduced for foundation years in classroom-based subjects. A lower tuition fee loan limit of £5,760 is also being introduced to match the new tuition fee limit. We recognise the important role that foundation years play in promoting access to higher education, but we believe they can be delivered more efficiently, at lower costs to students.
Students will receive additional support for their living costs in 2025-26, with the largest cash increases for students from low-income families. This approach ensures that the most support is targeted at the poorest students, while keeping the student finance system financially sustainable.
Maximum undergraduate loans for living costs will be increased by forecast inflation, 3.1%, in 2025-26 with as much as £414 additional support for students on the lowest incomes who need the most help.
I am also announcing today further changes to student support for the 2025-26 academic year that will benefit students.
Maximum disabled students’ allowance for students with disabilities undertaking full-time and part-time undergraduate courses in 2025-26 will increase by 3.1%. Maximum grants for students with child or adult dependants who are attending full-time undergraduate courses will also increase by 3.1% in 2025-26.
We are also increasing support for students undertaking postgraduate courses in 2025-26.
Maximum loans for students starting master’s degree and doctoral degree courses from 1 August 2025 onwards will be increased by 3.1% in 2025-26. The same increase will apply to the maximum disabled students’ allowance for postgraduate students with disabilities in 2025-26.
Bereaved partners and children of Gurkhas and Hong Kong military veterans discharged before 1997 who have been granted indefinite leave to enter or indefinite leave to remain will not be subject to the three-year ordinary residence requirement but will instead need to be ordinarily resident in England on the course start date to qualify for student support and home fee status. This change is being introduced as these students may find it difficult to meet the normal ordinary residence requirements for student support and home fee status.
We will expect the higher education sector to demonstrate that, in return for the increased investment that we are asking students to make, they deliver the very best outcomes both for those students and for the country.
We have set out our five priorities for reform of the higher education system and will work in partnership with the sector over the coming months to shape the changes to Government policy that will be needed to support this reform. We will expect our higher education providers to:
Play a stronger role in expanding access and improving outcomes for disadvantaged students.
Make a stronger contribution to economic growth.
Play a greater civic role in their communities.
Raise the bar further on teaching standards, to maintain and improve our world-leading reputation and drive out poor practice.
Drive a sustained efficiency and reform programme.
We will then set out this Government’s plan for higher education reform by this summer.
Looking forward to the 2026-27 academic year, the lifelong learning entitlement (LLE) will deliver transformational change to the current student finance system by broadening access to high-quality, flexible education and training. The LLE will launch in 2026-27 for courses starting from January 2027.
Further details of the student support package for 2025-26 are set out in the document “Higher Education Fees and Student Support for 2025-26: Details”.
I have laid regulations implementing changes to maximum fees for undergraduates in 2025-26 on 20 January.
Alongside the regulations, we are publishing impact assessments on the changes to maximum fees for 2025-26 which draw on the Office for Students’ independent analysis of the wider financial pressures facing the higher education sector as well as an equality impact assessment of changes to fees and student support for 2025-26.
I also plan to lay further regulations implementing changes to student support for undergraduates and postgraduates for 2025-26 in February. Regulations are subject to parliamentary procedure.
Attachments can be viewed online at: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2025-01-20/HCWS372/
[HCWS372]
Energy Company Obligation 4 and Great British Insulation Scheme
(1 month ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Miatta Fahnbulleh)
This statement will be made at a later date.
[HCWS373]
eVisa Consultation Response
(1 month ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Seema Malhotra)
The transition to eVisas is a key element of our move to a digital, streamlined UK border and immigration system, replacing physical immigration documents with digital proof of immigration status.
Most physical biometric immigration documents (BIDs), in the form of biometric residence permits (BRPs), expired on 31 December 2024. We are encouraging all foreign national status holders to register for a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account to access their eVisa. This transition began with the EU settlement scheme and many foreign nationals now coming to the UK will already have an eVisa. The transition to digital BIDs (eVisas) needs to be reflected in the “Code of Practice about the sanctions for non-compliance with the biometric registration regulations”, which was last updated in 2015.
Holders of eVisas will be able to evidence their identity and status by creating a UKVI account “share-code” which they can provide to third parties, such as employers. At times, key account information such as facial images and name changes will need to be updated. Keeping this information up to date is a requirement set out in the Immigration (Biometric Registration) Regulations 2008. Failing to comply with these requirements may result in the Secretary of State imposing sanctions on the individual. These requirements and the way sanctions will operate are outlined in the code of practice.
We have revised the existing code of practice and consulted on the changes through a 12-week public consultation exercise between July and October 2023. This consultation included an online survey, two in-person engagement events and two virtual events. We also conducted a further round of engagement in November 2024 with a variety of stakeholders to ensure that the code of practice does not disproportionately impact vulnerable individuals and there are enough support mechanisms in place. Feedback from the consultation exercise and further engagement has been reflected in the revised code of practice. We are now ready to publish the Government’s response to the consultation. A copy of the consultation response and the revised code of practice will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses and published on www.gov.uk.
[HCWS370]
Rough Sleeping Winter Pressures Funding 2024-25
(1 month ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Rushanara Ali)
I am pleased to announce to the House that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced additional funding to local authorities to support people sleeping rough this winter.
On 6 November, I set out £10 million of rough sleeping winter pressures funding to local authorities across England. Today, my Department has increased this by a further £20 million.
The decision to provide additional funding underlines our commitment to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, and the significant pressures local authorities face. I have written to council leaders asking them to use this additional funding to safeguard people who are particularly vulnerable and at risk of sleeping rough this winter; and to encourage further join-up between councils and their local community and voluntary sector partnerships.
This £20 million allocation has been made available to 250 local authorities with the greatest rough sleeping pressures and across all London boroughs. The funding will support a range of services, including finding solutions for vulnerable people sleeping rough long term and supporting them with sustaining a life away from the streets. It will also continue to fund specialist support to vulnerable groups such as veterans, care leavers and victims of domestic abuse who are sleeping rough. Allocations will be published on www.gov.uk.
The Government are committed to getting us back on track to ending homelessness. This winter pressures funding for 2024-25 will enable local authorities to act to save lives.
[HCWS371]