BNU’s response to government increasing cap on tuition fees
Professor Nick Braisby, Vice-Chancellor of Buckinghamshire responds to the government’s announcement on 4 November, 2024:
The government announced last month that they were increasing the cap on tuition fees universities can charge full-time UK undergraduate students to £9,535 from 2025-26.
Following ratification from our University Council, we will only increase tuition fees for new undergraduate students (both full and part-time) in the 2025-26 academic year.
It’s important to us that we do the right thing by our current learners. We’ve taken the decision that full-time undergraduate students should continue to pay £9,250 for the duration of their studies at BNU. Fees for our part-time students will also remain unchanged.
We’ve updated the terms and conditions of admissions for new students on our website to provide greater clarity to new students around how any fee increases will work in the future.
Today we have communicated with applicants, and those who are holding offers to join BNU in 2025-26, about the change in our annual tuition fees.
When Bridget Phillipson MP visited BNU in February, before the new government was elected, I lobbied on our learners’ behalf for an increase in maintenance loans. I’m pleased that the new government listened and will provide an inflation-linked increase from 2025-26 to help our learners with their living costs.
We’re committed to ensuring all our learners thrive and survive at BNU and we’re proud of our track record of providing award-winning support which is recognised as sector-leading. This includes:
- A range of financial support including hardship funds, bursaries and scholarships - more information is here on our website.
- We want everyone at BNU to participate fully in university life and this year gave the Students’ Union a grant of £1.9 million. Our funding enables the SU to curate free access to recreation, sports, societies and skills development sessions through the Big Deal initiative, as well as provide our learners with free breakfasts, lunches and evening meals across our campuses.
- Subsidised food in our cafes and free products to tackle hygiene and period poverty.
- All students employed by BNU and the Students’ Union earn the Real Living Wage.