WHEN the tuition fees increases were first announced, the coalition Government predicted an average charge of £7,500, with some extreme cases charging the maximum.

Despite this, 68 per cent of universities across the country are charging £9,000 a year to study at least some courses on offer.

University of Lincoln students during a graduation ceremony at Lincoln Cathedral last year.

Many of those charging below the maximum are floating close to it, with fees of £8,000 or £8,500 being the norm.

Now the University of Lincoln joins Oxford, Cambridge and Durham in charging undergraduates £27,000 to study for a three-year degree.

Deputy vice-chancellor Scott Davidson said: "We are an ambitious university and we are aiming for the top 50 in the good university guide.

"We have made great strides towards that in recent years and will continue to do so.

"We want to provide first-class facilities and teaching and that is why we reached this conclusion.

"We have submitted our fair access statements and will be looking at funding a number of bursaries and scholarship to widen participation."

The announcement comes after accusations by some academics that top universities saw the £9,000 mark as a status symbol while others were charging it to avoid people thinking they were second rate establishments.

Every university that charges more than £6,000 has to create a fair access plan to make sure children from poorer backgrounds can still go into higher education.

Director of fair access Sir Martin Harris said: "We want all institutions to focus more on outcomes.

"We will have the highest expectations of institutions who have the furthest to go in achieving a representative student body and who want to charge fees at the top end."

The higher fees will start for the 2012 intake and will begin being paid back after graduates earn more than £21,000.

Former University of Lincoln student Richard Brown, who is now a public sector worker in Nottingham, said: "I think it will be very hard for them to justify charging that amount.

"I was a student in Lincoln for three years. I love the city and the facilities are really good but from what I experienced tutorial-wise I think £9,000 will be a bitter pill to swallow.

"Even though you don't have to pay it back straightaway, debt is still debt."

The University has risen 46 places in The Times good university guide to 71 and is in the top 25 per cent of the student satisfaction survey.

Stuart Ward, 31, who studied at Lincoln and is now a primary school teacher said the thought of the fees would have put him off further education.

He said: "I definitely would have thought twice about going to university if I was looking at £27,000 of debt when I finished.

"It would be particularly off putting for students from poorer backgrounds. I think in those circumstances doing an apprenticeship would be far more appealing."