MPs were warned they may lose votes if they failed to listen

Students are holding a mass lobby of MPs to protest against government plans to raise university tuition fees.

Around 200 National Union of Students representatives were at Westminster to put their case to members from all parties.

Under the government's plans, outlined in January, the maximum annual tuition fee can increase to �3,000. It currently stands at �1,100.

NUS president Mandy Telford said: "Student funding was the number one issue on the doorstep at the last general election.

Votes

"The student vote in many constituencies can easily be the difference between MPs' keeping or losing their jobs."

The NUS estimates many students could graduate with debts of up to �30,000, when living expenses are taken into account.

But the government says the change to tuition fees, with different rates being charged for different courses from 2006, is necessary to improve teaching and research.

Its stated aim is to get "towards 50%" of young people entering higher education by 2010.

Ms Telford said: "These are just a set of disastrous proposals that will do nothing to enable access to university or ease student debt and hardship.

"We are confident that MPs will be persuaded by their constituents to vote against the government's white paper, so that a fairer system of funding can be implemented instead."

'Not enough'

The NUS has also announced a one-day walkout at higher education institutions and a petitioning and letter-writing campaign.

Last month Universities UK, which represents higher education institutions, said the government's plans would still leave a shortfall in funding, despite the promise of an extra 6% a year from 2006.

Its president, Professor Roderick Floud, signalled that universities would probably press for tuition fees even higher than the proposed �3,000 - though that alone would not make up the shortfall.