PLYMOUTH university students are to lobby politicians in Westminster today in protest at proposed hikes in tuition fees of up to £20,000 a year.

A delegation of six from the University of Plymouth Students' Union (UPSU) will meet the city's Labour MPs Alison Seabeck and Linda Gilroy to vent their anger at changes being proposed by university heads.

As the Government prepares to begin a review of tuition fees, a BBC survey of 53 vice-chancellors, speaking anonymously, yesterday revealed that two-thirds said they needed to raise fees by between £4,000 and £20,000 per year.

A report by Universities UK, a body composed of executive heads from 133 universities including Plymouth's Professor Wendy Purcell, today outlined a range of options which include seeing annual tuition fees rocket from £3,000 to £7,000.

It concluded that a rise to £7,000 would discourage some students from going to university, but they would be 'largely price-insensitive' to a hike to £5,000. As part of the study, 12 unnamed university vice-chancellors suggested an average fee of £6,500 a year.

This angered the National Union of Students which said its members were already too much in debt.

UPSU president Darren Jones yesterday received a briefing from union chiefs and afterwards told The Herald: "It's appalling that so many vice-chancellors are saying fees could go up to £20,000.

"We can understand why they're saying it – they want more income on the bottom line – but this is not the best way of doing it."

He said a rise in fees would deter students at a time when the Government was keen to encourage more people into higher education.

"Only those that can afford it will be able to come to university," said Darren.

"You can pay less and go to European or American universities. You may get people leaving the country."

The UUK report said a rise to £7,000 a year would leave a 2016 graduate with a total of £32,400 to pay off, including other expenses.

Even an annual £5,000 fee would result in £26,400 of debt.

Under present costs, a student graduating in 2011 can expect to owe £17,000.

Mr Jones said it would be better if universities looked at making money from selling the services and expertise of their staff to businesses and community groups.

He vowed that Plymouth students would be 'campaigning as much as we can' in opposition to fee hikes.

UPSU is already creating a 'wall of debt', where cardboard bricks, each containing a student's debt level, are being stuck on a wall.

The UUK report said vice- chancellors were seeing a faster rise in operating costs than would be covered by raising tuition fees in line with inflation.

Other scenarios put forward by the report include a suggestion that the higher fees be paid up-front, with financial support means- tested, as it was when tuition fees were first introduced.

This would be likely to hit the middle-classes the hardest, who would fall outside the range of support.

Another scenario is for students to take a loan and pay it back after graduation, but on a higher, real interest rate, rather than a subsidised one.

A further scenario suggests that students be given 'capped' interest-free loans, of about £3,000, and be forced to take out a second, private loan to meet the rest of the costs.

Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group, which represents some of the most research-intensive universities, said: "There is a growing consensus that, without increased investment, there is a real danger the success of our world-leading universities will not be sustained."