Students at Suffolk colleges slam tuition fee hike

The increase will be implemented from September 2025 and will affect new undergraduate students starting a higher education course and those who are already enrolled on a course.

However, maintenance loans will also increase to £8,877 a year for students living at home, £13,762 in London, £10,544 outside of London and £12,076 for those studying abroad as part of a UK course.

The changes were announced by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.

Suffolk New College in Ipswich (Image: Newsquest)

The higher education regulator in England, the Office for Students, has said that 40% of universities are facing a deficit this academic year.

Restrictive visa rules for international students introduced by the previous conservative government often cited as a major cause of the fiscal crisis faced by the sector.

Freya Ollason, 17, is from Ipswich and is studying on a level three media course at Suffolk New College. She said said: “I just found out the news and I think it is quite scary.

“There are not enough doctors or teachers – and they all need to get degrees – so people have to go to university, and they don’t have much of a choice in that – and if they can’t afford to do it – we are left with a country where nobody has any qualifications and can’t do the jobs that we need."

Jacob Cooper, 18, from Harwich, who is on a level three performing arts course at Suffolk New College, was more positive: “I’m looking at a drama school in London – and the place (London) is already costly - but the news about tuition fees won’t put me off.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson (Image: Lucy North)

"I’ve got my head set on where I want to go, and nothing is going to stop me - so I’m going to push on and take it as it comes.”

Izzie Garner, 18, from Ipswich also on a level three performing arts course at Suffolk New College said: “I saw the news on TikTok a couple of days ago. I was like 'what?' It’s already expensive and now I have to pay more.

“Potentially it might put me off – we’ll see how it goes. I might fall in love with a university – but it all depends on money.”

Izzie Garner (Image: Suffolk New College) Rebecca Mccafferty, 19, from Felixstowe, is studying on an animal care and management T-Level at Suffolk Rural College.

She said: “They (tuition fees) are already high – the fact they are going up quite a large amount is crazy.

“It is making me reconsider (going to university). If there is another option (other than university) it would probably be the choice I make.”

Nikki Grant, 18, from Needham Market is on an animal care T-Level programme at Suffolk Rural College, and she said: “I hear from my parents about how they had a lot of debt from their time at university and it took them so long to pay it off – and now it has gone up even more. I don’t want to be burdened with all of that debt."

Nikki Grant and Rebecca Mccafferty at Suffolk Rural College. (Image: Suffolk New College) Rio Crane, 17, from Ipswich who is studying media, business and psychology A levels at One Sixth Form College and said: “My initial reaction was I thought that the government were trying to get rid of student fees so it’s a bit strange that they have gone in the opposite direction.

“I’m not 100% certain I’m going to university. I’m going to take my time and choose the right option. News like this puts me off (university) a little bit. At the moment an apprenticeship or degree apprenticeship sounds more enticing.”