With a number of students preparing to head to university, parents are the ones who will be feeling the pinch, according to new figures from the Student Loans Company.
New research has found a hidden rise in the amount parents will need to contribute to fees, with some facing a 27 percent increase compared to last year.
Thanks to changes in loan allocation some families could end up paying hundreds more, according to the Telegraph.
In previous years, those from lower income families were eligible for a non-repayable maintenance grant – a grant that was scrapped in favour of a means-tested based on parental income approach.
For instance a family earning upwards of £69,803 annually could be expected to pay £5,300 a year towards university costs.
"The reduction in this living loan starts for those from families with incomes as little as £25,000 a year and loans can be halved for those whose parents earn £60,000,” said Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com.
"The implicit premise is that parents will fill the gap, but implicit isn’t good enough - this must be made explicit. The only thing I can find from the Student Loans Company is within its guide to how you’re assessed and paid; it says 'depending on their income, parents may have to contribute towards the living costs of their student children”.
In response to Mr Lewis’ criticism, a Department for Education spokesperson said: “There should be no barrier to any child’s ambitions and we are already seeing record numbers of disadvantaged young people going to university."
"We want to go further and ensure we are building a society that works for everyone. We have increased maintenance support for students from the lowest income backgrounds by 10 percent."
