THE prospect of huge increases in fees paid by students throughout the UK has seen university bosses in York admit they need more cash to maintain educational standards.

A report published this week on behalf of vice-chancellors across the country recommends an annual fee of £6,500 – more than double the current tuition fees of £3,145.

Professor Dianne Wilcocks, vice-chancellor of York St John University, admitted: “We lack funds.

“Maintaining present activity will not be possible without further investment by government, by business and by the students themselves.”

A spokesman for the University of York said: “The most important issues here are the provision of high-quality education for students and opportunity for all, regardless of background.

“The current level of government funding for EU and UK students, and the fees paid by UK and EU students, do not cover the costs of the high standard of education of which York is justly proud.”

While admitting that current fee levels were inadequate, both York institutions said it was important that students from poorer backgrounds should not find themselves priced out of university.

Prof Wilcocks said: “Generous bursaries and scholarships must be introduced along with any increase in fees in order to ensure that no student is excluded from university education simply because they cannot afford it.”

This week’s report, published by Universities UK, recommends a median fee of £6,500 but said anything above £7,000 was likely to put people off applying for university.

Students’ Union representatives in York have acted angrily.

A union spokesman for York St John said: “The future for universities is far from bright – the Government have cut their funding and many of them are facing massive staff cuts.

“However, in the current climate, with graduate unemployment through the roof, it is absolutely disgusting that vice- chancellors can even suggest charging students £20,000 for a degree so they can finish university and join the dole queue.

“The vice-chancellors, who themselves reaped the fruits of a free education, seem to have forgotten that higher education is a social right, not a privilege to be paid for by the rich. “Coming from a university like York St John, bursaries are an excellent way of supporting students from a widening participation background; however, it neglects to facilitate the financial needs of students who do not hit this criterion.”

Charlie Leyland, of University of York Students’ Union, said: “Students should not be the first and the last to plug holes in funding.

“The counterbalancing act of ill-publicised and inadequate bursaries and grants to combat the introduction of tuition fees has not prompted the increase in widening participation that we were promised.”