THE University of Central Lancashire has questioned a proposed rise in student tuition fees.

UCLan, which has a campus in Burnley, has spoken out at plans from the government which indicate fees will rise to £9,500.

Fees were capped at £9,000 after they almost trebled in 2012 under the coalition government.

However it was announced in July this year that they can rise to £9,250 in 2017 in order to keep up with inflation.

A spokesman for the university said: “Bringing in the teaching excellence framework should result in an improved student experience across the sector and this is welcome.

“However, we question the ethics of linking this to fee increases and the impact that such fee increases would have on our students.”

The teaching excellence framework was published yesterday and will come into force in the middle of next year. This announcement also included plans to rank institutions into three Olympic-style tiers of gold, silver and bronze.

The government has said that in 2018 all universities achieving a rating of bronze, silver and gold will receive the full inflationary lift.

The forecast for inflation for 2018-19 from the Office for Budget Responsibility is 3.2 per cent, which would take the cost of fees above the £9,250, the government’s initially announced and above £9,500.

It was initially thought that this increase would only apply to certain universities that offered the best standards of teaching.

Although UCLan questioned the decision to increase fees, it has said it has no objection to the ranking system.

A spokesperson for the university said: “The university will always approve of and support initiatives designed to improve the quality of teaching and learning, especially those which require collaborative partnership working between our staff and students.”

The medals ranking system will create new league tables based on teaching quality.

However unlike the glory associated at the Olympics, bronze will be awarded to universities below benchmark standards in certain areas.

The Department for Education (DfE) said the ratings would be available from students applying to start university in the autumn next year.

Universities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also be able to participate in the framework, the DfE confirmed, although the ratings will only affect funding for universities in England.