The Treasury confirmed a flat £925 charge on each international student from August 2028 and raised tuition-fee caps for 2026–27 and 2027–28, while pledging to reintroduce targeted maintenance grants funded by the levy. The Office for Students will administer the levy; small-provider exemptions (first 220 international students) were included. The government says proceeds will underwrite new £1,000 maintenance grants for low‑income students studying “priority” subjects. University leaders warned the flat fee favors elite providers and could deepen financial strain at smaller colleges; sector groups and unions said the levy shifts costs onto institutions and risks passing charges on to students. Officials frame the package as a trade-off: stabilise public finances while restoring limited student support and protecting industrial skills priorities.