English universities offer to curb foreign students if they can raise tuition fees

University College London. A domestic undergraduate costs between £12,000 and £13,000 a year to teach and support but tuition fees are capped at £9,250 a year. Photograph: Benjamin John/Alamy

Universities will offer to curb the rise in overseas students in return for greater stability and the chance to increase tuition fees, as part of a plea for the government to ease the sector’s growing financial crisis.

A “blueprint” to be published by vice-chancellors will call for tuition fees in England to rise in line with inflation and for greater government financial support.