<P> The teaching and higher education bill was passed into law on 16 July 1998 . In addition to introducing tuition fees, it established General Teaching Councils in England and Wales, introduced measures to reform the teaching profession and gave a provision for certain young workers to have time off for study . Prior to the passing of the act, the House of Lords passed three successive amendments to the bill which would have meant that English, Welsh and Northern Irish students studying in Scotland would pay a total of £ 3,000 for a four - year course to bring them in line with Scottish students . The amendments were overturned in the Commons but only after David Blunkett promised an independent review of tuition fees and how they operated in Scotland . The length of a typical honours degree in Scotland was four years compared to three years elsewhere in the United Kingdom . The difference presented a potential anomaly for when fees were introduced . It meant that students studying at Scottish universities would be charged an extra year of tuition fees compared with students studying a comparable course elsewhere in the UK . An independent review was led by Sir George Quigley, the Chairman of Ulster Bank, looked into the issue and reported on 29 March 2000 . It recommended that a fees concession should be given to students studying at Scottish universities in the final year of a four - year honours degree, if they were domiciled in other parts of the UK . It also recommended that the cost of meeting this provision should be born by the newly established Scottish Executive . The recommendations of the report were accepted by the executive at an estimated cost of between £ 2.5 million and £ 3.2 million a year . </P> <P> The act introduced a means - tested method of payment for students based on the amount of money their families earned . Students whose families earned less than £ 23,000 would be exempt from fees whilst those families earning between £ 23,000 and £ 35,000 a year would be charged a percentage of the fees on a sliding scale . Those families who earned over £ 35,000 a year would be charged the full fees which amounted to £ 1,000 a year . The maximum fees rose in line with inflation, reaching £ 1225 in 2007--08 . Starting with 1999 - 2000, maintenance grants for living expenses would also be replaced with loans and paid back at a rate of 9 percent of a graduate's income above £ 10,000 . All loans would be government funded and administered by the Student Loans Company, the organisation responsible for administering loans throughout the UK . </P> <P> The decision signalled the end of the principle of free higher education and was met with concern by some in the Labour Party . Former Labour education secretary Ted Short said that he was ashamed to be a member of the party and Ken Livingstone accused ministers of "whipping away a ladder of opportunity which they themselves had climbed". On the other side of the argument top universities in the United Kingdom actually wanted to raise tuition fees further so that they could compete more on the global stage . Some universities argued for a "United States - style" system where institutions were able to charge fees at whatever rate the "market will bear". Howard Newby, the President of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals said that the challenge for universities would be in ensuring new income was "recycled" into bursaries for poorer students . Blunkett said that after the next general election it would be likely that there would be another debate on the issue revisiting the issue of university funding but that whilst he was Secretary of State there would be no top up fees . Howard Newby acknowledged that any further changes to the public funding of universities would need to wait "until after the General Election" although he added "Afterwards, the question is how to bring more resources into higher education . Fees have to be part of the equation ." </P> <P> Following the passing of the Scotland Act 1998, devolved government was established in Scotland with the first meeting of the new Scottish Parliament taking place on 12 May 1999 . The parliament had been given primary legislative powers meaning that over many areas elected representatives were able to pass their own laws . In particular its responsibilities included student fees, school standards and the training and supply of teachers . </P>

When did tuition fees rise to £6000