DEGREE courses could be started at Taunton’s Richard Huish College as a result of recommendations to remove the cap on fees universities charge students.

College senior manager Paul Smith said the move would “essentially privatise higher education” and lead to a “two-tier university system”.

He said: “Students from poorer backgrounds will opt to go to cheaper universities, creating an American Ivy League-style system, attracting privileged students, with other universities having a disproportionate amount of students from poorer backgrounds.

“Richard Huish is already offering some foundation degrees courses. Students may think about pursuing higher education at a more local level – there could be more students taking degree courses here.”

SOMERSET College principal Rachel Davies welcomed the proposals in the Lord Browne report.

She said: “They give us a fantastic opportunity to build up our already well established reputation and large higher education provision.”

Kim Gover, Deputy Head of the sixth form at West Somerset Community College said: “This year's University applications are well underway and, although students are concerned about the future increase in fees, we are expecting the numbers applying this year to be unaffected.” Student Hanna Duddridge, president of the Richard Huish Council, said the decision to lift the cap on fees would create a divide between those who could afford to go to university and those who could not.

She added: “It might put people off going and thus they would miss out on an invaluable opportunity.

“People feel let down by politicians, particularly the LibDems and Jeremy Browne, who have gone back on their election manifesto.

“A lot of students have said they don’t think they’ll be able to have a substantially good financial future because they’ll be having to pay back so much once they leave university.”