The body charged with widening access to universities has been accused of "taking from the poor to protect the rich".

The new director of the Office for Fair Access (OFFA), Sir Martin Harris, has been criticised by the Liberal Democrats after suggesting universities do more to financially support students.

Harris said on Monday he wanted universities to contribute to a fund to "reaffirm their commitment to bringing more people from disadvantaged backgrounds into higher education".

The director claims that as much as £200 million a year could be put back into the pockets of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

"The contribution will vary from institution to institution, but just to illustrate; if, on average, universities and colleges in England invested 20 per cent of their additional fee income into widening participation, then £200 million could be generated."

Accused

However Liberal Democrat education spokesman Phil Willis accused OFFA of taking from the poorer universities and protecting the rich

"We should be talking about widening access to higher education, but OFFA's proposals take from the poor and protect the rich," he said.

"Those universities that are already recruiting the largest number of poorer students will also have to provide the largest proportion of their income.

"The funds that are given to poorer students on the one hand will on the other be taken away from the universities they attend.

"The only way to guarantee equal access is to scrap top-up fees and reintroduce fair grants."

But Sir Martin said that once variable tuition fees have been established in 2006/07, no student should be deterred from accepting a place at any university or college in England on financial grounds.

"Universities and colleges have already done a great deal, but we must all continue to do everything we can to broaden the pool of applicants to higher education," he said.

"I am fully committed to working with institutions to help them do this. OFFA's role is about supporting all universities and colleges in their mission to encourage suitably qualified candidates to apply regardless of their background or financial circumstances."