The rest of the population must pay unlimited tuition fees if they want to get to college, a report from the right-wing Bow Group said.
The research argued that both Labour and the Tories were on the wrong track with their policies for funding higher education and called for a complete overhaul of the system.
Scholarships
The top 10-12% of students would receive scholarships covering their fees and living costs under the plan.
The next 23-35% would get loans to cover their tuition and maintenance expenses but anyone else would have to foot the whole bill themselves.
The report said: "This scheme ensures that society derives the maximum benefit from any state investment in higher education.
"It enables poor but gifted students to make the most of themselves.
"By virtue of market disciplines, it keeps a natural (rather than an artificial) lid on student numbers.
"And by allowing universities to set the fees charged, it gives our major academic institutions the freedom they crave." Tweet

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So the students that don't have the highest grades will leave university with a huge loan and won't be as likely to get a decent job afterwards, but those with the best grades who are very likely to get good jobs, will not have any loans? That's ridiculous.
Its not that baffling really: people who have shown they are capable of great things are given help, to encourage them to go to uni, which would benefit the whole country. it detracts people who are not necessarilly best suited to a university education going in the first place, spending a fortune only to realise 18months down the line that university "isn't for them".
It all makes perfect sense!!
I've been saying this for years - why pay out grants and loans to people not suited to university or who are likely to quit when that money could be spent on sending people from any background to a good university to do a worthwhile course when they have proved that they are suited to univeristy and committed. If rich but stupid people then want to waste their own money sending layabout rich kids to uni thats their problem.
Nice to see good old class politics back on the agenda. The upper and middle classes, who can pay to get their children the best grades at secondary school, will be rewarded with free university education. The rest of the plebs will have to make do as they can. Nothing artificial in this, of course. To them that hath, shall it truly be given!
Sounds like a good idea gifted kids should be encouraged. The only thing that would concern me is how you judge if people are gifted or not...... One kids has been to a top private school, with class numbers that are low and had private tuition at home (as a top up) and got an A and 3Bs at A level. Another kid has been to the local comp, with hugh class numbers, had a disruptive home environment, been betten up daily for being a 'swat' (and things chucked at them by the other kids for answering questions in class) but still got through the GCSE Went on to 6TH form and got 4 bs. On paper the private school kid is smarter or more gifted. In reality the comp kid is probably smarter. When both of these kids are in uni and subjected to the same teaching standerds, class numbers and the comp kids no longer subjected to harssment for being smart. Its lilkly the comp kid will get the better degree result! Its like making two people run a race over rocks but one in shoes and one bare foot then judging who is fastest.