Parents welcome university's U-turn on some creche fee hikes

Current students with children enrolled in childcare will not face higher fees, Queen's University says

A plan to more than double childcare fees for some students at Queen's University Belfast (QUB) has been reversed.

The university has said existing students who currently use its childcare will not see their fees rise.

Students at QUB with children were set to pay £66 a day for full-time childcare from September 2025, compared to £28 a day at present.

Students who currently pay £31 a day for part-time childcare were set to see that rise to £69 a day.

When BBC News NI initially reported the rises, Queen's Students' Union called the fee hike "unsustainable".

In a statement, a university spokesperson said QUB had "listened to concerns" from affected students.

"We are pleased to confirm that existing students who use the service and have also registered for the 2025-26 academic year will continue to pay the existing rate for the next three years or until their study period ends, whichever is sooner," they said.

New students to pay higher fees

However, students enrolling their children with QUB childcare for the first time in September 2025 will have to pay the higher fees.

As students are not in full-time work, they cannot claim existing childcare subsidies set up by Stormont.

Queen's Students' Union had said the increase in childcare would particularly affect postgraduate students with families, and warned that some might have to drop out of university as a result.

That was a decision being considered by PhD student Christian Nsonwu until QUB's U-turn.

"It's really made us look at our finances and think 'is this something that we can continue? Can I continue to study and afford this?'" he told BBC News NI.

Mr Nsonwu is originally from the United States, but has been in Northern Ireland for about 10 years.

He has a three-year old son and his wife is expecting their second child in August.

He told BBC News NI the rise in childcare fees would present "significant challenges" for him and other students with children.

Christian Nsonwu is undertaking his PhD at QUB, where his son uses the childcare service

Mr Nsonwu also said QUB's childcare services were one of the main reasons he chose to study for his PhD at the university.

"We were looking at different universities and really decided that Queen's was the right place for us because it was closer to family and really because their childcare scheme was a huge factor within that," he said.

Mr Nsonwu said childcare was essential for his family and for other students with children.

"My wife works full-time and there's no possible way to child-rear or take care of your kids while also trying to study full-time," he said.

Reversal brings 'significant relief' for parents

If the planned rise in fees had gone ahead, Mr Nsonwu said his family's childcare bill would have increased from about £360 a month for childcare three days a week, to about £800 a month for part-time care.

He welcomed the university's decision to freeze fees for students like him, who have re-enrolled their children in QUB childcare for 2025-26.

"That will give us the next year or so until my son goes on to primary school paying a consistent amount we expected," he said.

"I think it brings a significant amount of relief to parents who are already in use of this service.

"I think it demonstrates a bit of compassion when it comes to the financial situation these students are in."

Queen's University Belfast said an increase in National Insurance contributions forced it to up its childcare fees

But Mr Nsonwu said his family, and others, would face paying higher bills for children who were starting in QUB childcare in September.

"It alleviates a lot of the pressure for one of my children," he said.

"However for my second child we will be paying this new exorbitant fee, they will not benefit from that reversal in fee increases.

"My main concern is for parents, or students, who are just starting out."

The QUB statement to BBC News NI said the university was "the only higher education provider in Northern Ireland to offer on-site childcare specifically for students".

"We remain committed to supporting students to avail of this service - underpinned by a £300,000 annual university subsidy," it continued.

"In response to wider financial pressures, including a £4.6m increase in National Insurance contributions, we have made the difficult decision to adjust childcare fees while keeping broadly in line with other providers in south Belfast."