University tuition fees in Wales will rise by around £300 a year.

University fees in Wales will rise to £9,535 a year from September 2025 – an increase of almost £300.

Welsh Government announcement brings tuition costs in Wales into line. The fee hike has already been announced by the UK government. For universities in England.

This is the second rise in fees for Welsh courses in a year, with the maximum charge going from £9000 to £9250 from September 2024.

Further and Higher Education Minister Vicki Holz said it was a “difficult but necessary decision”.

Ms Howells said the decision would not increase up-front costs to the university for students and would not increase their monthly payments as graduates.

A 1.6% increase in maintenance support for undergraduates was also announced.

The maximum amount of support for postgraduate study will also increase by 1.6%, with grants for dependent students and students with disabilities increasing by the same level.

Ms Howells said the increase in fees was necessary “to ensure that Welsh higher education institutions remain competitive with other parts of the UK”.

“I want to make it clear that this small increase in fees should not deter anyone from Wales from considering applying to university next year,” she said.

He added that this would require an additional £20 million in funding. Maderwhich funds post-16 education to support further and higher education.

Sophia, 16, from Swansea, a student at Gower College, said she was not happy about the increase because “parents struggle with money as it is”.

He said parents would not want to take away their child’s dream of going to university because of additional financial pressure.

Sophia says the increase will require people to pick up jobs to afford it which will “prevent 100% of people from leaving”.

“Crushing your dreams with money will be a struggle for many.” he added.

But Ella, 17, from Swansea, also a student at Gower College, was unsure if she would struggle to balance the costs at university.

“I don’t know if I’ll have to get a part-time job to help with that, but it’s not easy as a student,” she said.

Ella added that the increase in tuition fees may cast some doubt on her choice to attend, but she wants to get as much education as possible before getting a job.

Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru’s education spokesman, said the increase would “burden students with even more debt”.

Tom Gifford, education spokesman for the Welsh Conservatives, said the increase amid declining enrollments “does little to encourage students to pursue higher education”.

“If Wales cannot offer comparable opportunities to those crossing the border in England, we risk a substantial brain drain,” he said.

A Universities Wales spokesman said it “welcomed the announcement of additional support, which comes at a critical time for Welsh universities”.

“Our universities play a fundamental role in the communities of Wales: creating jobs, transforming lives, supporting public services, and delivering world-class research and innovation,” he said.

Gareth Lloyd from UCU Cymru said he welcomed the extra year-round funding for universities and colleges as they were “struggling with increasing workloads.”

In a statement, he added: “We need to recognize that the crisis in our universities can only be solved by a new system of UK funding that is shared between all its beneficiaries. Spreads the cost of higher education more evenly.”