Thursday 23-02-2017 - 15:23

We're launching a petition asking the university to rethink plans for year-on-year tuition fee increases. 

From this September, universities are allowed to raise their tuition fees for UK students. Universities are now being rated for their teaching as Bronze, Silver or Gold, and Silver and Gold universities can put fees up by 100% of inflation.

This means that by 2021 it could cost over £10,500 a year to go tothese universities.This won’t just affect new students starting on undergraduate courses this autumn.

Some universities – like Lancaster – have decided to write into your contracts that they can increase your fees year on year. While you may be paying £9,000 this year, by the time you graduate you could be paying over £9,700 per year. If Brexit leads to rising inflation, it will be even more than that.

Students are already telling us that they struggle to make ends meet while studying and worry about the level of debt they will be saddled with when they graduate. We believe this increase, which has come as a surprise to many students, is another blow to our members’ already over-stretched finances.

What are we asking the University to do?

• Freeze the fees at point of entry for students already at university – if you signed up at £9,000 you shouldn’t pay a penny more 
• Show us specifically where the extra money from higher fees is going 
• Open talks with us about freezing EU and international fees beyond Brexit

Please sign the petition to show your support for this campaign and help us be heard within the University!