Legislation to raise the annual tuition fee cap for two-year degrees to ?11,100 in England has been passed by MPs, a move billed by the universities minister as a ¡°modern-day milestone for students¡±.

The secondary legislation ¨C which would see the new cap apply for courses starting in autumn this year ¨C will now go to the House of Lords for approval.

Although Labour MPs voted against ¨C the party¡¯s policy is to abolish tuition fees entirely ¨C opposition parties did not muster the numbers to defeat the legislation.

The Democratic Unionist Party¡¯s 10 MPs joined the Conservatives in?supporting the legislation. But the Scottish National Party¡¯s MPs did not vote, while only two out of 11 Liberal Democrat MPs voted (both against).

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The Department for Education said that graduates of two-year courses ¡°would save 20?per cent on tuition fees compared to traditional courses. For example, students who opt?for a two-year degree will save at least ?5,500 in total tuition costs compared to a standard three-year course.¡±

Students will also ¡°benefit from a year without paying any maintenance costs through an accelerated course, which would allow them to access the workforce quicker¡±, the DfE said.

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Given that tuition fees are repaid by graduates contingent on their salary?and that outstanding balances are written off after 30 years, it is impossible to predict whether a particular individual graduate would accrue savings in practice.

But the move will reduce the government¡¯s loan outlay.

The DfE said that ¡°accelerated degrees have been a key part of the government¡¯s ambition to maximise choice and flexibility for people wanting to study in higher education, and are expected to remove barriers for a number of under-represented groups, including mature students¡±.

Chris Skidmore, the universities minister, said: ¡°The passing of this legislation is one of the great modern-day milestones for students and breaks the mould of a one-size-fits-all system for people wanting to study in higher education.

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¡°For thousands of future students wanting a faster pace of learning and a faster route into the workplace at a lower overall cost, two-year degrees will transform their choices.¡±

john.morgan@timeshighereducation.com