Full Breakdown
Tuition Fees Rise Sharply Under Prime Minister Andy Burnham
9/5/2026, 8:39:29 PM
Tuition Fee Surge and Student Debt
Analysis from the House of Commons library shows that English university tuition fees have risen from the £1,000 level set in 1998 to £9,790 per year—a rise of 879 percent. The same analysis estimates that a student borrowing the maximum loan could finish university owing around £70,000, with the figure climbing to a maximum of £81,000 for those studying in London. Graduates projected to leave English universities in 2025 are expected to carry an average debt of £53,010. By contrast, Scottish graduates in the same year are projected to owe an average of £17,990, a gap of roughly £35,000.
Historical Promise and Policy Shift
During the 2015 Labour leadership contest, Andy Burnham pledged to scrap tuition fees and replace them with a graduate tax, describing the move as a way to “lift the millstone of debt” from students. The current fee levels and debt projections indicate a reversal of that promise.
Official Response from the Department for Education
The spokesperson added that the department will continue seeking ways to make the system fairer for students, graduates, and taxpayers, citing upcoming increases to maximum maintenance loans and the reintroduction of targeted maintenance grants for low-income families.
Scottish National Party (SNP) Criticism
She also highlighted the contrast with Scotland, where tuition remains free and debt levels are substantially lower.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Andy Burnham once promised to follow the SNP's lead and scrap university tuition fees but instead they are rising to record levels under his leadership.” — Kirsty Blackman, westminster economy spokeswoman
- “There is simply no excuse for the fact that tuition fees have risen by a staggering 879 per cent since the Labour Party introduced them – and it means that Andy Burnham is breaking his promises to millions of students and young people.” — Ms Blackman, westminster economy spokeswoman
- “We know the student loan system we inherited is broken and unfair, and some graduates feel the weight of this more strongly.” — Department for Education spokesperson
These points illustrate the widening gap between the original pledge to eliminate tuition fees and the present reality of record-high fees and student debt in England.
