More than two-thirds of UK students would be put off university by tuition fees of £7,000 a year, a report says.

The National Union of Students/HSBC survey of 3,863 current students found almost half would have been put off university if annual fees were £5,000.

It comes as the Times reported claims the forthcoming Browne Review of student finance is set to recommend raising fees to £7,000.

The Browne Review will not comment on this report.

The Times also claimed the review team had not been persuaded by arguments for a graduate tax, whereby students pay back the cost of their university education through the tax system.

It added that the Browne Review, due to report in October, recognised that vice-chancellors would need to be able raise their fees to at least £6,000 or £7,000 to engender competition between universities.

NUS president Aaron Porter said student finances were already at breaking point

He added: "This is clear evidence of the need to do away with the damaging and unpopular fees system, if we are not to shut out many thousands of young people from going to university, particularly those from poorer backgrounds.

"The financial pressure on young people is mounting, and an increase in fees to £7,000 would, according to universities' own figures, consign a generation to unsustainable mortgage-style debts in excess of £32,000."