It’s a research program?
Scotland and Wales have fees, same range as England. In Europe it’s free in the Netherlands (some unis, not all) and Scandinavia. (At least for postgraduate study, not 100% for undergraduate).
For me not being a UK resident, I understand why there are fees. Unis actually work like they should, facilities are state of the art, there’s a plethora of tutors, help, assistance in every possible little thing you might need. It may be a bit expensive, yes, but I understand that the money is actually going somewhere to make things even better.
You seriously can’t imagine how bad education is here, in every level.