TUITION fees at the University of York are to be set at the highest level of £9,000 a year from next October.

The University Council agreed the plans for full-time home and European Union undergraduate students yesterday, although their proposals will have to be rubber-stamped by the Office For Fair Access next month.

Students from families on lower incomes will receive “substantial reductions and financial support”, according to a statement from the university, which also said it wanted to ensure students were not put off choosing York for courses.

First-year students with scholarships will receive £4,500 in support, while those from families with incomes of less than £25,000 a year will receive packages of support worth £3,000. Hardship funds for students will also be increased.

“The measures approved will maintain the university of York as an institution of the highest quality,” said the vice-chancellor, Professor Brian Cantor.

“The University of York is committed to four key objectives – excellence, internationalisation, sustainability and inclusivity. We shall continue to invest in providing the best possible experience for our students.

“We will ensure York continues to attract and support students from a diverse range of backgrounds and that anybody who has the ability to benefit from a York education can do so, regardless of their financial circumstances.”

The university also said its measures would be supplemented by non-repayable Government grants for students from low-income backgrounds, as well as Government loans to cover living expenses. The university’s Chancellor, Greg Dyke, will lead a public fundraising campaign to encourage former students to increase its scholarships and bursaries.

In April, York St John University announced it would set its fees at £8,500 a year, just below the ceiling permitted under the higher education reforms.