united kingdomfeeshigher education policy
England confirms £925-per-student levy on universities from 2028
The UK government has confirmed a new levy on England’s universities and colleges: a flat £925 per international student, per year of study, payable by the institution rather than the student. It takes effect from 1 August 2028. This doesn’t change visa fees or the Immigration Health Surcharge, but it changes the economics of recruiting international students — and that cost is likely to show up somewhere in what you pay.
What changed
Under a plan confirmed by the Department for Education, higher education providers in England will pay a flat fee of £925 for every international student enrolled, each year of their course, from the 2028–29 academic year. The levy is collected by the Office for Students and — according to the government — will be reinvested into higher education and skills, including plans to reintroduce targeted maintenance grants for domestic students.
The policy was first floated in the May 2025 immigration white paper and has now been set at a fixed amount following a technical consultation that ran from November 2025 to February 2026.
The levy is charged to the provider, not billed directly to students. There is no mechanism in the current announcement that adds £925 to a visa fee or tuition invoice.
Who it affects
- Prospective international students enrolling in England from 2028 onward — not current or 2026/27-entry students, since the levy only starts in August 2028.
- Universities and colleges in England that recruit internationally. The government’s own estimate is that this raises roughly £445 million in its first year, rising toward £480 million by 2030/31 — money that has to come from somewhere in provider budgets.
- Applicants comparing UK providers on cost, since some institutions are more reliant on international fee income than others and may respond differently.
What you should do
- If you’re planning to start in 2028 or later, expect this to factor into fee-setting conversations, even though nothing in the current announcement directly raises your fees. Universities facing a new per-student cost have an obvious incentive to pass some of it on through tuition.
- Don’t confuse this with the Immigration Health Surcharge or visa fees — it’s a separate charge on institutions, not something you pay to the Home Office.
- Watch official fee schedules from your shortlisted universities as 2028 approaches, rather than relying on today’s published fees for a course starting after the levy takes effect.
What hasn’t changed
Nothing about your visa application, IHS payment, or 2026/27 tuition changes because of this announcement — the levy doesn’t start until August 2028 and is charged to institutions, not applicants. For current fee and cost planning, see our cost of living in the UK guide and browse UK institutes for provider-level information.