Tuition fees: Poorest students to get year for free

Thousands of university students from disadvantaged backgrounds could have their tuition fees paid for free for up to two years, ministers have proposed.

A government source said any student eligible for free school meals could get their tuition fees paid for a year. And universities which charge more than £6,000 a year could be forced to pay such students' fees for a further year.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has made it clear he will be supporting changes to the system of university funding.

He told The Independent on Sunday he would like everyone to vote for the package in the Commons on Thursday.

The BBC's Vicki Young reports.