Shing Wai Man, 18, from Kent Imperial College, London

I'm expecting �20,000 of debt when I leave, without having to pay top-up fees. Three-quarters of my year group at school went straight into work rather than to university. I don't see anything in the government's plans that would help change this.

Claire McGrath, 21, from Stratford-upon-Avon Aberystwyth University

This will reduce the number of people going to university. When student numbers dropped they introduced the grant system. When they rose they introduced the loan system and now that more people are in university they are charging more again. I dread to think where the academics, doctors and teachers are going to come from in 10 years' time.

Lorraine Campbell, 22, from London Aberystwyth University

Although I don't pay tuition fees because my parents earn less than the threshold, I believe the whole idea is wrong. I feel sorry for people from the lower middle classes who are hit harder than people like me or children of rich people.

Pip Sanders, 19, childhood studies Leeds Metropolitan University

I think it's unfair. On the one hand the government say they're encouraging people to go into higher education but this will do the opposite. It's been a struggle for me to get the money together to come here and this is just making things worse.

Alex Coby, 21, from London Imperial College, London

It seems silly to decide the amount of fees you pay depending on your parents' income. The government isn't going to charge until graduates are earning. The amount should be based on your earning power later on.

Ian Sherat, 25, postgrad studying astronomy Leeds Metropolitan University

The variable fees are the biggest problem. It's just obvious that the poorer students are going to end up going to lower quality universities because they can't afford the fees. You can see the money's needed but if it's a flat rate it's the closest thing possible to being a tax that everyone has to pay regardless. If you get away from that with variable rates, it's not a tax. You're paying for a service and it will only be the rich people who can afford the best service at the best universities.

Caroline Last, 20, second year biology student Birmingham University

You have to have a job to have any money for yourself and I don't think this will change that at all. I think the university you choose will be influenced by the price of the fees. All you need is a degree so I would go to a small university where I would still get a degree out of it and it would be cheaper, I'd still get a job but be in less debt. I thought the government said they were not going to do this, they have misled us. It does take away parents' responsibility for giving a lump sum for the fees, which puts a lot of stress on them. But it means we are going to be in more debt at the end of it.

Greg Waring, 20, physics student Bristol University

The top-up fees may be a good idea in that it might help reduce the numbers of people taking worthless degrees. If, as a result of the extra money paid, you get a good job at the end of it, then it will all have been worthwhile.

Elin Morgan, 22, from London Imperial College London

There's a big push to get people to university. Charging higher fees is going to have a massive social impact. The help with fees and grants is just a bit of a sweetener.

Alex Flux, 19, from Somerset, studying art history University of East Anglia

These fees are not the end of the day for students. It gives us more responsibility. With loans hopefully when we leave as graduates we'll be able to earn sums to pay the money back. It is not the same as the large amounts of money in the United States. Hopefully the fees are also an incentive to work at university. If you could go for free there would be no incentive. We should not have a situation like in the US where different universities charge different fees. It makes the system unfair.

Stephen Milburn, 20, from Sunderland Bristol University

At the moment we have a system where far too many people attend university. It's a skive for many who see it as three years off work, that's all. They are right to introduce top-up fees but it's largely necessary because of poor policy-making in the past. Where everybody goes to university, it devalues the system.

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