From 2006, universities in England can charge tuition fees of up to £3000 per year. It is expected that most, if not all medical schools in England will charge the maxiumum £3000 per year.

Those studying medicine as a first degree will be entitled to take out a student loan to cover these fees in their entirety in addition to the student loan to cover living costs, and will only be obliged to pay back their loans after graduation in accordance with the student loans company's usual terms and conditions.

However, all graduates studying medicine as a second degree will not be able to take out a student loan to cover their tuition fees. This means that those on non-graduate entry medicine courses (i.e. 5 and 6 year courses) will have to pay approx. £3000 up front each and every year for the duration of their course, apart from the final year, when the fees will be paid by the NHS.

Graduates on 4-year courses will also have to pay £3000 up front for the first year of their course, but the NHS will continue to pay their fees in years 2-4.

According to the Council for the Heads of Medical Schools, 15% of students on 5 year medical courses in the UK are graduates, and that rises to 25% at some medical schools. It is likely that the increased financial burden will discourage or prevent many potential medical students from applying to study medicine and will favour those from more affluent backgrounds who can bear this additional financial burden. As such, this policy is in direct contravention of the government's own policies on widening access to medicine.