The comments followed an email to Liberal Democrat party members on Saturday evening in which Business Secretary Vince Cable rejected the idea of a graduate tax to fund universities and students following talks with Conservative coalition colleagues.
NUS warned that there was nothing fair about extending top-up fees.
Aaron Porter, NUS President said:
“There is nothing fair about hiking fees and doubling student debt, whilst also increasing interest payments for those who have to borrow the most in order to fund their way through university."
"It would be an insult to the intelligence of those who voted for the Liberal Democrats to attempt to rebrand the regressive and deeply unpopular top-up fee system.”
“Liberal Democrat MPs have long opposed tuition fees and at the general election each of them signed a pledge to vote against higher fees in Parliament. It would be a complete betrayal of the electorate to abandon this flagship promise."
Just three weeks ago, the Liberal Democrat party conference passed a motion to work with other parties to explore a graduate tax as an alternative to tuition fees, which their 2010 general election manifesto stated that they would abolish.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said during the general election campaign that any increase in student debt would be "a disaster" and in a video message to NUS conference said the Liberal Democrats would “We will resist, vote against, campaign against, any lifting of that cap".
All 57 Liberal Democrat MPs, including Nick Clegg and Vince Cable signed NUS' Vote for Students pledge during the 2010 general election campaign "to vote against any increase in fees in the next Parliament and to pressure the government to introduce a fairer alternative."
Related links