Just to be really clear if you asked me "Is it worth raising max tuition fees by 3.1% to get a 3.1% rise in maintenance loans (both now confirmed)?". My answer is YES. Tuition fee rises don't effect most 1st time students (unless so wealthy they opt not to get loans), they affect graduates and the only ones who will pay more due to the rise are mid-high to high earning graduates (and only small % more). The terrible degradation of living loans has hit those from low income backgrounds - who can't afford to live while they study - and thus social mobility. So a rise is important though more is needed to catch up with the huge past years real term cuts. Explanations below.