Call to cut tuition fees to £7,500 a year

It was a review commissioned by Theresa May to examine ways to reduce the financial burden on students once they finish their education.

Among its recommendations published today was that university tuition fees in England should be reduced to seven and a half thousand pounds a year.

But the repayment period for student loans could be extended from thirty to forty years – meaning some would still be repaying them as they approached retirement.

The report also recommended reintroducing non-repayable, old-style grants to help less-well-off students.