What happens in other countries?

The Welsh government has capped tuition fees at £9,000 but from this September it is bringing a system of grants and loans to help students with living costs.

People born in Scotland get free tuition but critics say this has limited the number of places as the Scottish government has capped the number it will fund.

In France, students are charged between €200 (£177) and €650 (£575) a year depending on the course and level of study.

Germany has scrapped tuition fees but students pay an adminis- tration cost of €100 (£88) to €200 (£177) a term to cover student services and free public transport.

The Netherlands charges fees of €2,000 (£1,771) a year. Many European nations, like Norway and Denmark, have none.