Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, is warning that universities might focus more on full-time courses.

It says part-time students were ignored in the bill which gave universities the power to raise tuition fees.

42% of higher education students in England and Wales are part-time, but they will not get grants or bursaries.

They will continue to have to pay their fees up-front when the government's changes come in autumn 2006, unlike full-time students, whose fees will be deferred until after they graduate.

Cinderellas

Universities UK's president Ivor Crewe said universities would feel unable to charge higher fees to part-time students and might be tempted to move more towards full-time courses.

"Part-time students are the Cinderellas of the higher education sector, and it is about time they were invited to the ball," said Professor Crewe.

"They got barely a mention in the 2003 White Paper and they were sidelined by the Higher Education Bill.

"Unless the government takes action, the provision of part-time higher education will become less attractive to cash-strapped universities, just when we ought to be making the most of the strengths of this form of higher education."

Universities UK has commissioned a study into the part-time degree sector to inform its campaign to get the government to do more to help part-time students.