STUDENTS planning to join some of Newport’s university’s most highly regarded courses could be set to pay as much as £9,000 a year in fees.

The University of Wales, Newport, said yesterday it will charge the top rate to students starting its fashion, photography and film courses in September 2012.

Fees for courses that require accreditation from outside bodies will also be set at £9,000, while others will charge £8,250.

The university said the difference in fees reflected the cost of providing the courses.

Although it is currently unclear what students from Scotland and Northern Ireland will have to pay, students from Wales will pay only £3,465 with English students likely to have to pay the full fee.

However the Welsh Government is planning to pay for its subsidy for Welsh students by “top-slicing” university teaching budgets by 35 per cent.

It is understood that universities expect there will be little or no teaching grant to fund first year students in 2012/13 and Dr Peter Noyes, vice chancellor, said charging £9,000 would only bring in another £100 a year compared its current income.

“Increasing the cost of study for our future students is not something we do with any relish, but is the only option available to us in the situation we find ourselves in,” he said.

Under Welsh Government rules, and because its fees will be higher than the basic rate of £4,000, the university has had to submit a plan to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales outlining how it will promote higher education and boost access.

Dr Noyes said the uni will use 30 per cent of the fee income over £4,000 to put more money into bursaries and boost its activities in widening access.

The council will write back to the university on whether it rejects or accepts the plan by July 11.

The university isn’t alone in Wales in charging the full fees amount, with Cardiff, Aberyswyth and Bangor all previously announcing they would charge students £9,000.