Welsh tuition fees to rise by nearly £300 a year

University fees in Wales are set to rise to £9,535 a year - nearly a £300 increase - from September 2025.

The Welsh government announcement brings tuition costs in Wales in line with a hike in fees already announced by the UK government for universities in England.

It is the second increase in charges for Welsh courses within a year, after the maximum charge went up from £9000 to £9250 from September 2024.

Vikki Howells, minister for further and higher education, said it was a "difficult but necessary decision".

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

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

The maximum amount of support for postgraduate study will also increase by 1.6%, with the same level of increase in grants for students with dependants and those with a disability.

Ms Howells said raising fees was necessary "to ensure Welsh higher education institutions remain competitive with those in other parts of the UK".

"I want to be clear that this small increase in fees should not dissuade anyone from Wales considering applying for university next year," she said.

She added there would be an extra £20m in funding for Medr, which funds post-16 education, to support further and higher education.

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

"Our universities play a fundamental role in communities across Wales: generating jobs, transforming lives, supporting public services, and delivering world-leading research and innovation," they said.

Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru’s education spokesperson, said the increase would "burden students with even greater debt".