Thames Valley Universities Confirm Fee Rise

12 July 2011, 05:00 | Updated: 12 July 2011, 11:45

A Thames Valley university is reassuring parents that their children will be able to go to university - despite most increasing fees to £9,000 a year.

Oxford and Reading will both be charging £9,000 a year from 2012 - Oxford Brookes will be charging an estimated average of £8,696.

Each will be offering a range of incentives so students from poorer backgrounds don't miss out.

Reading University will be charging £9,000 a year. Students who's household income is less than £16,000 a year, there will be a fee waiver of £3,000 and a cash bursary of £1,000. For those from households with an income of between £16,000 and £25,000 students will recieve a fee waiver of £2,000 and a cash bursary of £1,000. Those with an income of £25,000 and £42,000 there will be a cash bursary of £500.

Deputy Vice Chancellor of Reading University Professor Tony Downes told Heart these measures are essential to encourage students to continue their education.

"We have no incentive not to do everything we can to get the most able students into the university and the last thing we want is the cost to be a disincentive."

Oxford university will be charging £9,000 a year. First year students from poorer backgrounds £3,500 increasing to £6,000 in subsequent years. Fee waivers of £2,000 will be applied to students from households with an income of £16,000 to £20,000 and £1,000 for those with an income of between £20,000 to £25,000.

Oxford Brookes has similar incentives, but has also said they'll reduce the amount of students admitted to ensure the quality of teaching remains high. They'll offer bursaries of up to £2,500 and fee waivers of £2,000 all depending on household income. They'll be charging an estimated average £8,696 per year from September 2012, with most degree courses charging the full £9,000.