Written question WQ95226

The decision to raise tuition fees by RPIX (3.1%) to £9,535 was a difficult but necessary one to support universities with the increased costs of education. This follows a challenging financial period for the higher education sector following the recent decrease in international student enrolments.

I took a range of financial considerations into account in making this decision. This included consideration of the financial position of our universities, the estimated up to £21.9m additional funding that could become available to higher education providers in Wales, the impact on student debts and graduate repayments, and the Welsh Government’s funding for AME expenditure made available by HM Treasury.