A major set of reforms to the higher education finance system in England was announced in 2004, including the introduction of ‘top-up’ fees, allowing universities to charge up to £3,000 per year for tuition. IFS research used rigorous academic techniques to assess the likely distributional consequences of the reforms for graduates. The analysis was influential in informing public debate, being widely cited in the media. IFS has continued to work on this issue: recent research looked at the impact of the reforms on higher education participation. This was presented to government analysts and to the secretariat of the fees commission.