However, the NUS supported the initial introduction of tuition fees, which opened the door for the application of market principles in the provision of higher education. Access to higher education is already heavily circumscribed by the applicant's class background. The introduction of top-up fees would nevertheless represent a qualitative shift in access to higher education, catapulting it back to a time when a university place was synonymous with blatant class privilege and naked elitism. The penetration of the market as social arbiter in education would legitimise discrimination against poorer students. Only those with deep pockets would be able to attend the best universities.
Groups representing the top colleges pay lip service to the notion of egalitarianism.
The Russell Group, which includes Oxford and Cambridge universities, and the Committee of Vice Chancellors has declared they would like the extra funds to finance bursary payments for poorer students. Modelled like the scholarship system in America, this would lead to token numbers of working class students being allocated to courses on a strict quota system. They say this is necessary in order for UK universities to maintain their global competitiveness and to expand opportunities for investment. The Russell Group has asked a team of economists to undertake a wholesale review of university funding and to appraise the practical implications of the introduction off top-up fees. Because of their reputation and facilities they would be able to offer the best courses and charge students thousands of pounds to attend.