Students’ Perceptions of Tuition Fees: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Aims: In light of the changes to tuition fees introduced by the UK government in 2010, the present study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of how students perceive their tuition fees.

Methodology: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to gain a deeper understanding of students’ perceptions of tuition fees.

Results: Two superordinate themes describing the fairness of tuition fees and the impact of the change in legislation on perceptions emerged from the analysis. In addition, findings revealed that a lack of knowledge regarding tuition fees appears to increase stress in the students.

Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that more responsibility should lie with institutions to educate their students about their finances, with possible benefits for student wellbeing and satisfaction. We also draw caution to policy and structural changes within universities that may occur to meet the increasing demands of students.