It will push all of the costs of higher education onto the shoulders students who already face much of the financial consequence of the economic downturn.
For the proposals to go through Parliament, Liberal Democrat MPs would have to break the pledge they made to students to vote against higher fees, the union said.
Thousands of students, lecturers and others will march through London on Wednesday November 10 for the NUS and UCU Funding Our Future march to protest against cuts to higher education.
Aaron Porter, NUS President, said:
“These proposals would remove public funding for universities and force students to shoulder the bill for devastating cuts to teaching."
"The Government have provided no reassurance that requirements on access, employability, quality or the student experience would be any more effective than they are now."
"The only things that students and their families could expect in return for higher fees are higher debts."
"Many Liberal Democrats would have felt incredibly uncomfortable as they heard David Willetts' statement today knowing that they are being asked to railroad these proposals through Parliament and to betray the students and their families who voted for them."
“Students will remind MPs in their constituencies of the promises they made to voters. Anyone who doubts the electoral power of the student vote should speak to former Education Secretary Charles Clarke, who lost his seat at the last election after refusing to commit to vote against higher tuition fees.”