According to Professor Sir Steve Smith (the vice-chancellor of Exeter University and president of Universities UK,) universities planning on increasing their tuition fee upto £9,000 may have to slice their student numbers or would be made to cut down their fees.

There are various reasons why many universities in England are planning to charge the maximum tuition fee. Professor Smith explained, "I think it might be a sort of status thing: 'If I don't charge £9,000 am I going to be considered second-rate?' Some may want to use this as an opportunity not to be as big as they are now. They may, say, want to take in 3,100 high performers at £9,000 rather than the 4,000 they currently take in. Institutions are planning a bit for the future."

A White Paper on the future of higher education, is yet to be rolled out this week, it will put forward the idea that universities could cut their fees during clearing next year if they find they do not have enough applicants to fill places.

David Willetts, the Universities Minister, had notified some of the universities earlier that they need to cut their fees or offer incentives to the students to fill their places. However, Professor Smith said that it would not be applied in the following year as they would be having difficulty filling places and hence the universities can put off changes until 2013. He added further, "If you get no students one year, you've lost 33 per cent of your income… It would increase the financial pressure on the university but I don't think there will be closures."

In the meantime, the part-time students will feel some pressure, as the fees could rise to as much as £6,500 a year under the new system. This rise in the fee structure could probably discourage many mature students from applying.

According to some people, the much-awaited White Paper will draw strategies to allow popular universities to expand student numbers by taking in any high flyer with two As and a B at A-level. Some main points to be included in the White Paper are as follows:

• To allow popular universities to expand and take in any student with two A grades and a B at A-level.
• To allow universities and colleges of higher education that charges the lower fees to expand.
• To promote student charters that guarantee lecture class sizes and contact time with tutors.
•  To give wide power to OFFA, the university access regulator, to fine universities which fail to attract disadvantaged youngsters.
• To compel universities to be more open about what A-level subject passes are needed for a particular course and to reveal the employment records of their undergraduates.