[inops]

The £9k a year figure is mostly smoke and mirrors though. All British citizens are eligible for a tuition "loan" that covers it. That "loan" (and the maintenance loan too) is the equivalent of a graduate tax, as it's a percentage (9% for the current lot of students) charged on income made past a certain amount (above £25,000 for this lot). The loan is wiped 30 years after graduation (this what will happen for the majority of students).