What is the tuition fee cap for 2026/27?

The maximum tuition fee a fee-cap provider with a TEF award and an access and participation plan can charge a full-time undergraduate is £9,790 a year for 2026/27. Source: GOV.UK, OGL v3.0.

Do I have to pay tuition fees up front?

No. A Tuition Fee Loan from the Student Loans Company covers your fees in full and is paid directly to your university. You only start repaying after you finish or leave your course and your income passes the repayment threshold. Source: GOV.UK, OGL v3.0.

Why might my university charge less than the cap?

The £9,790 figure is the maximum. The actual fee depends on the provider's TEF and access and participation plan (APP) status — providers without those can only charge lower capped amounts. Source: GOV.UK, OGL v3.0.

GeraLearn / UK Student Finance / Tuition fees

Tuition fees in England (2026/27)

The maximum full-time undergraduate tuition fee is £9,790 a year — covered in full by a Tuition Fee Loan. Real GOV.UK data (OGL v3.0).

How much are university tuition fees in England for 2026/27?

The maximum full-time undergraduate tuition fee in England for 2026/27 is £9,790 a year, for a fee-cap provider with a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) award and an access and participation plan (APP). A government Tuition Fee Loan covers this in full and is paid directly to your university, so you pay nothing up front. Source: GOV.UK (OGL v3.0).

Source:GOV.UK — Student finance, tuition fees and student support 2026/27 (Student Loans Company)·As of 2026/27 academic year (repayment thresholds from April 2026) · updated annually · last refreshed 25 June 2026

A tuition fee is the amount a university charges for your course. In England the government sets a maximum fee a provider can charge full-time undergraduates. For 2026/27 that cap is £9,790 a year for a fee-cap provider that holds a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) award and an access and participation plan (APP).

You do not pay this up front. A Tuition Fee Loan from the Student Loans Company covers your fees in full and is paid directly to your university. You only begin repaying — together with your maintenance loan — once you have left your course and your income passes the repayment threshold.

£9,790/ year (maximum, 2026/27)

Maximum full-time undergraduate fee for a fee-cap provider with a TEF award and an access and participation plan. The actual fee can be lower depending on the provider’s status.

Tuition fees — FAQ

What is the tuition fee cap for 2026/27?: The maximum tuition fee a fee-cap provider with a TEF award and an access and participation plan can charge a full-time undergraduate is £9,790 a year for 2026/27. Source: GOV.UK, OGL v3.0.
Do I have to pay tuition fees up front?: No. A Tuition Fee Loan from the Student Loans Company covers your fees in full and is paid directly to your university. You only start repaying after you finish or leave your course and your income passes the repayment threshold. Source: GOV.UK, OGL v3.0.
Why might my university charge less than the cap?: The £9,790 figure is the maximum. The actual fee depends on the provider's TEF and access and participation plan (APP) status — providers without those can only charge lower capped amounts. Source: GOV.UK, OGL v3.0.

Keep exploring

Maintenance loan — funding for living costs
Repayment plans — Plan 2 vs Plan 5 and how repayments work
UK student finance hub — repayment estimator + full overview

Source: GOV.UK / Student Loans Company. Figures for 2026/27 academic year (repayment thresholds from April 2026). Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. England, full-time undergraduate. Last refreshed 2026-06-25. No figure is modelled or interpolated.