New HEPI polling shows Labour’s tuition fee rise made more palatable by maintenance support increase

The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) is publishing the results of snap polling of around 1,100 students by Savanta on the decision by the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, to raise tuition fees in England.

The move was widely welcomed by higher education institutions, which saw the increase as vital to help prevent the fragile finances of the sector – which could see up to 72% of institutions in deficit by the end of the 2024/25 academic year – from deteriorating further.

Key findings:

• Students overwhelmingly oppose the tuition fee increase and, despite the arguments of the Government and Universities UK, do not see it as ‘necessary'.
• However, when the increase in maintenance support is included, students are split evenly between thinking the change is a good thing or a bad thing. This suggests the maintenance increase made the fee rise appear more acceptable to students.
• Students are split significantly down gender lines, with female students opposed to the increase while male students are more lukewarm. Younger students are more opposed to the increase while older students are more supportive.

Josh Freeman, author of the research, said:

The rise in tuition fees came as a relief to higher education institutions. These results show students oppose the increase in swathes and are sceptical of the argument that universities need more money.  

But while students voted for Labour in large numbers at the last election, the move may not be politically costly for the Government, for several reasons. As maintenance support went up at the same time, the fee rise was made more palatable. Unlike the Liberal Democrats in 2010, Labour made no tuition fee commitment in its Election Manifesto, so this rise does not break its promises to the electorate. And by the time of the next election, most current students will have graduated – so fee rises are unlikely to be their top priority.

Support for tuition fee rise

In the first question, we told respondents that tuition fees will rise from £9,250 to £9,535 next year and asked how they felt about the increase. A significant majority of students (68%) oppose the increase, with a majority (55%) strongly opposed. A fifth of students (20%) support the increase.

There is a gulf between the attitudes of male and female students: while one-in-three men (31%) support the increase, that falls to just one-in-eight women (13%).

On whether the increase is ‘necessary'

In the second question, we noted the financial challenges faced by the higher education sector and presented the argument that increasing tuition fees is ‘necessary' to provide more money to institutions.

A majority of students (56%) reject the argument and a quarter (27%) agree increasing tuition fees is necessary.

Older students, male students and those from wealthier backgrounds are more likely to consider the move necessary; younger students, female students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to do so.

Support for overall fees package

Finally, we described the other significant measure announced at the same time – the increase in maintenance support by up to £400. We asked respondents to consider whether the announcement, including both the fee and maintenance rises, was a good thing or a bad thing overall.

Once the maintenance rise is included, support for the announcement jumps up. Just as many students think it is ‘entirely' or ‘mostly' a good thing as think it is ‘entirely' or ‘mostly' a bad thing (31%) and a similar number think it is equally good and bad (34%). There is a striking 19-percentage point difference between men and women, with 43% of men saying it is a good thing versus less than a quarter of women (24%).

There is a large gender divide in all three questions, with men more supportive of the tuition fee rise throughout. This is surprising because, according to modelling by London Economics, the rise will cost men more on average because they generally go on to earn higher salaries. Two possible explanations for the divide could be:

1. Young women across the Western world are increasingly more left-wing than young men. For example, in the UK 2024 General Election, 18 to 24 year-old women voted for the Green Party at almost twice the rate of men while men voted for the Conservatives and Reform in much greater numbers. Previous polling by Public First suggests left-wing voters are more likely to support abolishing tuition fees.
2. Women are more debt-averse than men, particularly young women. Paradoxically, though fewer women than men will have to repay the additional debt, they may feel a lesser ability to absorb the cost because their salaries are expected to be lower.

Across the three questions, there is also a significant divide by age, with those 22 and older significantly more likely to support the announcement than those aged 21 and younger.

Notes for editors

1. HEPI was founded in 2002 to influence the higher education debate with evidence. We are UK-wide, independent and non-partisan. We are funded by organisations and higher education institutions that wish to support vibrant policy discussions, as well as through our own events. HEPI is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity.

1. The survey was conducted by Savanta in November and December 2024, after the tuition fee rise was announced in early November. It is based on a sample of 1,105 students permanently domiciled in England and weighted to be representative of the student population. Percentages may not add up due to rounding. Data tables are available on request.