Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of permanently linking university tuition fees rises to inflation on access to higher education and student debt levels.

The department is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to attend higher education (HE). That is why the government will introduce targeted means-tested maintenance grants for students from low-income households studying courses aligned with our missions and industrial strategy.

The student finance system removes upfront financial barriers so that everyone with the ability and desire to enter HE can do so. Student loans carry significant protections for borrowers. Monthly repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed, so will not change with fee rises. At the end of the loan term, any outstanding loan balance will be written off.

The HE sector needs a secure financial footing, which is why the department has taken the difficult decision to increase tuition fee caps for the next two years, in line with inflation. In future years, only institutions which meet a quality threshold will be able to continue to raise their fees in line with inflation to ensure a focus on teaching quality and outcomes for students.