No impact on Gib scholarships as university fees rise, but costlier for public purse

Local students will not be affected by the rise in university tuition fees in England next year, the Gibraltar Government confirmed, though the increase will cost taxpayers an additional £250,000.

Tuition fees will rise to £9535 from next year, a 3.1% increase in line with inflation, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said in a statement to the House of Commons on Monday.

The Gibraltar Government confirmed that this will not affect local students who have their university tuition fees paid for by the Government.

The rise will cost the Gibraltar Government approximately £250,000 extra on tuition fees, a spokesperson for the Government told the Chronicle.

In announcing the UK Government’s decision on Monday, Ms Phillipson said the hike was needed to “secure the future of higher education”.

The Education Secretary said increasing the £9,250 maximum tuition fees for domestic students to £9,535 next year had “not been an easy decision”.

University tuition fees will rise for the first time in eight years to help universities facing “severe financial challenges”, the Education Secretary said.

It comes as university leaders have warned of significant financial concerns as a result of frozen tuition fees paid by domestic students and a fall in international students.

The previous government raised the cap on university tuition fees in England to £9,000 per year in 2012, but it has been frozen at £9,250 for domestic undergraduate students since 2017.