SOARING costs are preventing the poorest students from attending university, researchers warned yesterday, as the Tories consider plans to scrap the cap on fees completely.

The report, produced by the National Education Opportunities Network, found that young people who are eligible for free school meals would be most likely to reconsider going to university following an increase in fees, followed by Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) students.

The research, which was based on an online survey of 1,500 students and two focus groups, found that BME young people and those receiving free school meals were most likely to choose low-cost university options if tuition fees were variable.