THE University of Oxford is set to abolish a controversial fee.

The move to get rid of the Graduate Application Fee was welcomed by the Oxford Students’ Union (Oxford SU), which has criticised the fee due to its impact on students from low-income backgrounds.

The £75 fee was said to be a ‘deterrent to pursuing an Oxford education’.

There was over 1,100 signatures on a petition following months of campaigning by Oxford SU.

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The decision comes after Oxford’s highest level decision making body, ‘Congregation’, confirmed the motion committing the university to ‘the abolition of the graduate application fee in its entirety by the academic year 2024-25 and to prevent further fee increases in the meantime’.

The decision was announced in today’s Oxford University Gazette.

In a statement, Oxford SU said: “We’re thrilled to see that applicants will no longer face the barrier of an application fee when applying to Oxford.

“This is a very positive step in the university’s efforts to widen graduate participation and we commend all of the students and sabbatical officers who played a part in pushing this outcome forward.”

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Tucker Drew, vice president of access and academic affairs at Oxford SU, added: “We’re delighted to see that Oxford has voted to abolish the Graduate Application Fee after continued pressure from Oxford SU representatives and student activists.

“This will ensure that applications from excellent graduates of all backgrounds will no longer face the barrier of the application fee when considering applying to Oxford.

“The results of this vote show that the members of Congregation understand the need to widen access.”