Top-up fees were first introduced for 2006 with the idea that universities could vary course fees according to costs, with a cap of £3,000. Universities are arguing however, that they still require more funding to enable them to remain internationally competitive, as UK universities slip in the International league tables.

The government has argued that the burden of funding university education should not fall entirely on tax payers, but as student debt continually increases critics are worrying less students will go into further education. Many leave university so heavily in debt that the affects are still felt in their late 20s and 30s, causing them to put off buying a house or starting a family. Graduates this year are expected to owe over £20,000, with middle-class students hit hardest due to being ineligible for means tested maintenance grants.

Increased student fees have so far not deterred students from entering higher education: after a slight dip in applicants when fees were first introduced in 2006, applications for 2008 rose by 9.7% - up from a 5.4% increase the year before. Although cost may not prevent students from entering higher education, it may mean that universities will be seen as just a financial investment, and no longer as a means for intellectual growth.

Wes Streeting, President of NUS, said: "Student debt is putting pressure on students to get very high-paid jobs when they graduate... it’s important that students are able to do the jobs that they want."