# The Higher Education (Fee Limits and Fee Limit Condition) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, Note: Explanatory note


(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the Higher Education (Fee Limits and Fee Limit Condition) (England) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/903) (“the 2018 Regulations”) and the Higher Education (Fee Limits for Accelerated Courses) (England) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/214) (“the 2019 Regulations”). The amendments introduce new, increased course fee limits for qualifying courses provided by certain English higher education providers. The new fee limits apply to academic years beginning on or after 1st August 2026 but before 1st August 2027 and academic years beginning on or after 1st August 2027. The fee limits apply only to courses which begin before 1 January 2027.
The fee limits that currently apply to academic years beginning on or after 1st August 2019 but before 1st August 2026 are preserved. The fee limits that currently apply to lower-fee foundation years that begin on or after 1st August 2025 are also preserved.
The fee changes apply to English higher education providers which are required to limit their tuition fees by virtue of section 10 of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 (c. 29) (“the 2017 Act”) as a condition of registration with the regulator of higher education providers, the Office for Students.
Regulations 3 and 11 make amendments such that the fee limits apply only to courses which begin before 1 January 2027.
Regulations 4 to 6 make amendments such that the 2018 Regulations introduce new, increased higher amounts of fees and floor amounts in respect of those higher amounts. These expressions are defined by paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to the 2017 Act.
Regulations 7 to 9 make amendments such that the 2018 Regulations introduce new, increased basic amounts of fees and floor amounts in respect of those basic amounts. These expressions are defined by paragraph 3 of Schedule 2 to the 2017 Act.
Regulations 10 to 15 make similar amendments to the 2019 Regulations such that the higher, floor and basic amounts for accelerated courses which begin before 1 January 2027 are increased.
The fee increases to the higher amounts are required to maintain the value of those amounts in real terms, having regard to the index of prices specified in the Student Fees (Inflation Index) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/507). Fees for academic years beginning on or after 1st August 2026 but before 1st August 2027 are increased by 2.71%. Fees for academic years beginning on or after 1st August 2027 are increased by 2.68%.
A full impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of business, the voluntary sector and the public sector has been produced and is published alongside these Regulations on www.legislation.gov.uk. Hard copies are available from the Department for Education, Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BT.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/329/note (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/higher-education-fee-limits-and-fee-limit-condition-england-amendment-regulations-2026/note
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.