In July this year Jo Johnson, the universities and science minister, made a statement that English universities will, under certain conditions, be allowed to raise their undergraduate tuition fees in line with inflation to a maximum of £9,250 in 2017/18.
To be eligible a university would need to achieve a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) ‘Meets Expectations’ rating, which would depend on it having undergone a successful review by the Quality Assurance Agency and having an access agreement agreed by the Office for Fair Access (OFFA). Click here to read the University’s QAA review.
The University has met both of these criteria and we therefore plan to raise fees to the maximum £9,250 for all new undergraduate students who enrol in the academic year 2017/18.
This will not affect the annual fees for students currently enrolled on one of our undergraduate courses.
However, before any university can raise fees, the Higher Education and Research Bill, which describes this change in fees, needs to be approved by Parliament. The Bill is now in the committee stages in the House of Commons and still needs to go the House of Lords. You can read the Bill and follow its progress here.
We are fully committed to ensuring a sustainable future for the University, in which we can continually invest to enhance the student experience, attract the most talented students and provide further opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to benefit from a Southampton education.
This commitment is shared with the Students’ Union, and we will continue to involve your elected officers in all relevant discussions.
We will let you know as soon as a decision has been made in Parliament and whether or not these new tuition fees have been approved.
