Tuition fees in England would need to rise to £12,500 to meet universities’ teaching costs, the vice-chancellor of King’s College London has said. Prof Shitij Kapur is one of the brains behind proposals due to be published in the coming weeks by Universities UK. He told vice-chancellors the “blueprint” would ask for more funding for teaching but without putting a number on it. Prof Kapur said there had been a debate while drafting the blueprint, over how much fees should rise.

Students have been warned they may see cuts to staffing and courses, as universities grapple with UK tuition fees worth less than they used to be and fewer international students to make up the financial shortfall. The Office for Students, which regulates England’s universities and has been told to make their financial stability its priority, has said 40% of them are predicting deficits.