The National Union of Students at its annual conference has voted to drop its focus on opposing tuition fees.

Conference has decided that a shift in priority is required and that, rather than lobbying for a free education, the union should instead focus on attempting to prevent any increase to the costs already incurred by students.

Elle Gray, UPSU President, believes “the decision to oppose increased Top-Up fees, but abandon the fight for free education means that we can concentrate on winning the arguments not to lift the £3,300 cap in 2009”.

The decision does demonstrate a significant change in policy for the NUS, with some worried that it marks a defeat for the union which represents the views of up to seven million UK students, in the fight over university education.

Many advocates of free education are concerned with the change in policy. Gray stated: “there should be no barriers to education, and this decision makes it harder for us to campaign for free education in future which is the only fair way forward”.

An NUS spokesperson said: “Rather than just saying we want to simply abolish fees, our policy team are going to work with different economic experts to look at ways of funding higher education”.