Tuition fees in England will rise to more than £9,500 next year to “secure the future of higher education”, the Education Secretary said.

Tuition fees in England will rise to more than £9,500 next year to “secure the future of higher education”, the Education Secretary said.

Bridget Phillipson said increasing the £9,250 maximum tuition fees for domestic students to £9,535 next year had “not been an easy decision”.

University tuition fees will rise for the first time in eight years to help universities facing “severe financial challenges”, the Education Secretary said.

It comes as university leaders have warned of significant financial concerns as a result of frozen tuition fees paid by domestic students and a fall in international students.

The previous government raised the cap on university tuition fees in England to £9,000 per year in 2012, but it has been frozen at £9,250 for domestic undergraduate students since 2017.

In a statement to the Commons on Monday, Ms Phillipson also announced that maintenance loans for university students in England will rise next year, which the Government said will provide students with £414 extra per year.