Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she intends to reform the higher-education funding mechanism.

The government has taken decisive action to support the long-term sustainability of the higher education (HE) sector, including increasing tuition fee caps in line with forecast inflation for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 academic years, providing greater certainty over future funding, and linking future inflationary fee uplifts to assessments of HE quality.

Additionally, the department is working with the Office for Students to reform the Strategic Priorities Grant to ensure that high-cost subject funding is more effectively targeted towards priority provision that supports future skills needs, as well as ensuring funding is targeted towards the most disadvantaged students in accessing and participating in HE.

The government keeps the HE funding system under review and will continue to consider opportunities to improve the system, while ensuring it remains financially sustainable and delivers value for money for taxpayers.