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Students protested over raising fees when Chris Huhne visited a London university
</div> Students in universities in England will face tuition fees of up to £9,000 per year from 2012 - as the government reveals its plans for higher education.
The coalition's response to Lord Browne's funding review will be published on Wednesday.
Universities will be able to charge £6,000 per year with a higher tier of £9,000 - nearly treble existing levels - if poorer students receive support.
Student unions have warned that MPs will face a "huge backlash".
Much of this rise in fees, up from the current £3,290 per year, will replace public funding withdrawn from universities in last month's spending review.
It will mean that many arts and humanities courses will now depend on fee income, rather than state funding.
National Union of Students president Aaron Porter says it is unfair to "remove almost all funding for teaching in universities and force students to foot the bill".
Students could see fees almost trebling by 2012
Ministers have been trying to achieve a balancing act between a sustainable funding system for universities and a political deal which will head off a Liberal Democrat backbench rebellion.
Liberal Democrat MPs signed personal pledges that they would vote against any increase - and will now be presented with plans that could almost treble fees.
Students have threatened to "hound" Lib Dem MPs over this promise to student voters - with Chris Huhne facing protesters in London and Vince Cable having to call off a visit to Oxford University.
As such, the funding package to be announced by the Universities Minister David Willetts at 1230 GMT will be accompanied with more progressive measures, including requirements that universities charging the highest fees will have to show support for widening access to students from economically poorer backgrounds.
This has prompted suggestions there will be tough talking about widening participation - but universities are not expecting to face quotas, regulations or "social engineering" in the allocation of places.
Interest rates for loan repayments and earnings thresholds could also be adjusted to give more support to disadvantaged students.
Universities will have to decide whether this political deal will secure their long-term funding.
Malcolm Grant, provost of University College London, has warned that spending cuts in higher education have turned the process into an "emergency funding measure".
He also expressed regret at the apparent rejection of Lord Browne's proposal for universities to decide their own fees, without any fixed cap.
There have also been warnings about a two-tier system emerging from the split level of fees.
David Barclay, president of Oxford University Student Union, says: "A two-cap system will mean a two-tier system returning us to the dark days of some universities for the many and some universities for the few."
Mr Barclay has been invited to meet Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg on Wednesday afternoon, as the coalition tries to sell the funding package.
The changes in tuition fees will apply to universities in England. Scottish students studying in Scotland do not have to pay any fees. In Northern Ireland and Wales, fees are currently charged up to a maximum of £3,290.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Students protested over raising fees when Chris Huhne visited a London university </div> Students in universities in England will face tuition fees of up to £9,000 per year from 2012 - as the government reveals its plans for higher education.
The coalition's response to Lord Browne's funding review will be published on Wednesday.
Universities will be able to charge £6,000 per year with a higher tier of £9,000 - nearly treble existing levels - if poorer students receive support.
Student unions have warned that MPs will face a "huge backlash".
Much of this rise in fees, up from the current £3,290 per year, will replace public funding withdrawn from universities in last month's spending review.
It will mean that many arts and humanities courses will now depend on fee income, rather than state funding.
National Union of Students president Aaron Porter says it is unfair to "remove almost all funding for teaching in universities and force students to foot the bill".
Students could see fees almost trebling by 2012 Ministers have been trying to achieve a balancing act between a sustainable funding system for universities and a political deal which will head off a Liberal Democrat backbench rebellion.
Liberal Democrat MPs signed personal pledges that they would vote against any increase - and will now be presented with plans that could almost treble fees.
Students have threatened to "hound" Lib Dem MPs over this promise to student voters - with Chris Huhne facing protesters in London and Vince Cable having to call off a visit to Oxford University.
As such, the funding package to be announced by the Universities Minister David Willetts at 1230 GMT will be accompanied with more progressive measures, including requirements that universities charging the highest fees will have to show support for widening access to students from economically poorer backgrounds.
This has prompted suggestions there will be tough talking about widening participation - but universities are not expecting to face quotas, regulations or "social engineering" in the allocation of places.
Interest rates for loan repayments and earnings thresholds could also be adjusted to give more support to disadvantaged students.
Universities will have to decide whether this political deal will secure their long-term funding.
Malcolm Grant, provost of University College London, has warned that spending cuts in higher education have turned the process into an "emergency funding measure".
He also expressed regret at the apparent rejection of Lord Browne's proposal for universities to decide their own fees, without any fixed cap.
There have also been warnings about a two-tier system emerging from the split level of fees.
David Barclay, president of Oxford University Student Union, says: "A two-cap system will mean a two-tier system returning us to the dark days of some universities for the many and some universities for the few."
Mr Barclay has been invited to meet Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg on Wednesday afternoon, as the coalition tries to sell the funding package.
The changes in tuition fees will apply to universities in England. Scottish students studying in Scotland do not have to pay any fees. In Northern Ireland and Wales, fees are currently charged up to a maximum of £3,290.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.