The University of Buckingham launches ‘celebratory fees offer’ saving students 45% on tuition fees

The University of Buckingham is taking the lead in the higher education sector conversation on value for money offered by an undergraduate degree amid ongoing national debate on the affordability of university, loan changes, and what this means for students.

This new ‘celebratory fees offer’, introduces reduced tuition fees on selected undergraduate degrees as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations. Tuition fees on applicable courses are just £7,830 per year – 45.3% less per year than the average cost of a university degree.

The initiative combines discounted tuition fees with the University’s established two-year accelerated degree model that already offers students the opportunity to graduate sooner, while significantly reducing the overall cost of study.

Students enrolling on eligible programmes could save more than £25,000 compared to a traditional three-year degree (more than one third of the total price of university) when factoring in both tuition fees and living costs. This will be of interest to potential students living in Bucks who could also save on living costs by taking up a place as a commuter student.

Offer details

The celebratory fees offer is available for home fee status students applying to selected undergraduate degrees in the Faculty of Business, Humanities and Social Sciences, with intakes running from September 2026 through to January 2028.

Selected courses:

-  Business Management and Leadership

-  Business Entrepreneurship

-  Business Management and Marketing

-  English Literature with Creative Writing

Eligible students can apply for full funding from Student Finance England, while scholarships and bursaries are also available on top of the discount.

More information is available at: https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/same-degree-less-debt

A different approach to higher education

The initiative leans into Buckingham’s foundations as an independent, private university that has always done things differently. The University of Buckingham was founded 50 years ago, in 1976. Its very foundation was centred around disrupting and innovating the established university model.

The first private university and only independent university with a Royal Charter now intends to demonstrate that there is a different way to deliver high-quality education that maintains strong academic outcomes while also responding to the changing expectations and concerns of students.

David Cole, Interim Vice-Chancellor at The University of Buckingham, said: “Following 50 years of innovation in the sector, our celebratory offer aims to continue this tradition by challenging assumptions about how university education is delivered and what it should cost. We want to demonstrate that it is possible to deliver a high-quality academic experience while providing better value for students.”

“We hope this will contribute to a wider conversation about how universities can respond to concerns around affordability while maintaining strong academic standards.”

Year-round teaching and high-levels of academic contact time

Buckingham is the ‘Home of the two-year degree’, having pioneered the accelerated approach in 1976. Their long-standing experience, year-round teaching and high levels of academic contact time, ensure that students receive the same recognised qualification in a shorter timeframe.

Speaking on the two-year model, Professor Deba Bardhan-Correia, Dean of the Faculty of Business, Humanities and Social Sciences said:

“The current model in higher education leaves many students with high levels of debt for limited academic engagement. We believe there is a better way - one that delivers high contact and academic engagement in a shorter timeframe, at a lower overall cost.”

“In the context of a cost-of-living crisis, students are increasingly questioning the value of long periods of independent study and life away from home, during which they still must pay for services and accommodation they are not using. Buckingham students still get 10 weeks of annual holiday, but that is spread across four separate breaks, ensuring uninterrupted academic engagement. Our established two-year model offers high-contact time, structure, regular engagement and clear academic progression – this aligns more closely with contemporary student expectations of value.”

“Students today are rightly questioning whether the traditional model represents value for money. Our approach combines quality, efficiency and flexibility – giving students a clearer return on their investment in higher education.”

About The University of Buckingham – Celebrating 50 years of innovation

Founded in 1976, The University was born from a radical idea: that higher education in the UK could thrive outside of government control, combining intellectual independence with rigorous academic standards.

Buckingham is an independent university with a history of innovation in the sector; most notably the University introduced pioneering two-year programmes in 1976.

Unlike traditional three-year degrees, Buckingham’s model provides continuous learning with the same total teaching time, compressed into two years. This allows students to:

•      Graduate sooner and start their careers earlier

•      Reduce both tuition and living costs

•      Maintain strong academic outcomes through structured, high-contact learning.

Earlier this year, The University of Buckingham released a 50 for 50 scholarship – enabling prospective students to get 50% of the cost of tuition fees on selected courses in celebration of their 50th anniversary.