The call came as figures released by the Conservative Party predicted that 275,000 applicants may be turned away in 2010, compared to 130,000 in 2009.
NUS President Wes Streeting said:
“With record demand for places at a time of looming cuts, urgent action must be taken to fund an expansion of places to meet demand. There must be no cap on aspiration or opportunity.
“All political parties need to be open and honest with potential students and their families about how they will address the mounting crisis in university places, which looks likely to eclipse that of last year.
“We must ensure that those with the ability and aspiration to benefit from higher education will not be left out in the cold this autumn.”