Tuition fees decision will have ‘detrimental impact on higher education’

A decision not to raise tuition fees above the rate of inflation will have a “seriously detrimental impact on higher education”, a joint statement from Northern Ireland’s universities has said.

Stormont’s Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald, who is responsible for higher education funding in the region, made the announcement in response to a joint call from universities and colleges for a substantial uplift to the current £4,750 cap on fees for local students.

The heads of Queen’s University, Ulster University and the Open University in Ireland had warned that failure to tackle a funding crisis in the sector would force them to cut places for local students, as they insisted the current arrangements are “not sustainable”.

Ms Archibald has now made clear that she will not approve a cap increase beyond the annual inflationary adjustment.

She said placing an additional financial burden on students was not the way to address the pressures facing colleges and universities.

In a joint statement, the three universities said: “The decision by the economy minister to rule out an increase in student fees will have a seriously detrimental impact on higher education in Northern Ireland.

“We are surprised by this decision since, because of the way the student loan system works, an increase in fees would have no impact at all on student affordability.

“The universities were not asking for a change to the funding model but instead for the model to be properly applied in line with inflation.

“If the Executive is unwilling to enact this then there is no doubt that a new funding model is urgently needed.”

They added: “The decision to write a letter to party leaders was not a decision we adopted lightly but was made in the absence of any alternative solution to the challenges we have faced in being able to maintain our teaching, research and innovation provision that is so critical to the Northern Ireland economy.

“It also followed an indication from the Department for the Economy that future cuts were likely, with a limited chance of sustaining the current level of funding.”

The minister has said she will instead urge other Stormont ministers to prioritise the funding of higher education institutions when it comes to the reallocation of uncommitted funds during the current financial year. She said a sum of less than £10 million was required this year.

The Sinn Fein MLA said she was also committed to working with the colleges and universities to find a sustainable “longer-term solution” to the funding issue.

“You will be aware that the universities and university colleges have written to the five main parties highlighting the need for additional funding,” Ms Archibald told reporters at Stormont on Tuesday afternoon.

“There are two ways to provide that additional funding – either by increasing student fees above the usual level of inflation or by finding more public funding.

“I am clear that the current funding model does not work for universities and it does not work for students.

“And skills are a priority for me and my department in meeting the objectives of my economic vision and providing pathways for people of all backgrounds to gain education and training.

“While I recognise the challenges facing universities, I am not prepared to raise fees above the usual level of inflation and push that additional pressure onto students.

“I have therefore written to my Executive colleagues asking for higher education institutions to be prioritised for in-year funding to address the challenges this year.

“I want to work in partnership with our universities and students to find a sustainable way forward, and will work on a longer-term solution as part of the three-year budget (runs from 2026/27) and I’ve already committed to undertaking a review of higher education funding. In my view, this is the best solution for students and higher education institutions.”

Annual tuition fees for students from the island of Ireland studying in Northern Ireland are currently capped at £4,750.

Students from the rest of the UK who study in Northern Ireland pay up to £9,250. That is the same amount paid by Northern Ireland students studying in universities and colleges in England, Scotland and Wales.

The £9,250 cap is increasing to £9,535 at the start of the next academic year in the autumn.