STUDENTS are facing even higher annual fees after universities in England chose to follow the north in increasing charges in line with inflation.
The British government has been accused of "a kick in the teeth to students" after it was announced that maximum tuition fees will rise to £9,250 a year from September 2017.
There is also expected to be a renewed focus on fees in the north, where annual charges for home students will exceed £4,000 for the first time next year.
Before the assembly election in May, former minister Stephen Farry published different options for ensuring a sustainable higher education system.
The status quo, he said, had led to reduced student and staff places. Higher fees of up to £9,000 were among the range of options presented.
With Stormont finances expected to become even tighter, it is feared a rise in tuition fees may be the only available source of extra income.
Fees in the north have been creeping towards £4,000 a year. The Irish News previously revealed that the Executive breached one of its own key commitments by approving a rise that was three times the rate of inflation.
Tuition costs for home students are typically frozen, subject only to inflationary increases. Rises are based on forecasts for inflation, not current inflation figures, as such there is always scope for forecasts to be higher or lower than subsequent actual figures.
The north's system is worse off than England by £48 million a year. Institutions in England are not as reliant on government funding because they can charge much higher fees and caps on places, that remain in the north, have been lifted.
Announcing the new fee cap in a written statement to the House of Commons, British universities minister Jo Johnson said that the maximum fee loan for students would also rise to £9,250.
Several universities have already begun advertising courses at the higher rate, after being told earlier this year that they would be able to increase the £9,000 maximum - in place since 2012 - in line with inflation.
Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said: "The Tories are letting down young people. First they trebled tuition fees saddling students with debt, now they've confirmed they're set to go up again.
"Labour has consistently warned that these further increases in fees will be a barrier to aspiration, making it even more difficult for those from low and middle-income families to get the best education they deserve."
Liberal Democrat universities spokeswoman Baroness Burt said: "It is a kick in the teeth to students to tell them that fees are going to rise at the same time as freezing the point at which they have to pay them back.
"The government are reneging on the deal reached in 2010 - and that means poorer students paying back more and for longer. We will fight them every step of the way."
Annual tuition fees for `home' students in Northern Ireland
2011/12 - £3,375
2012/13 - £3,465
2013/14 - £3,575
2014/15 - £3,685
2015/16 - £3,805
2016/17 - £3,925
2017/18 - £4,020
2018/19 - £4,200
