Students facing crippling £30,000 debts are getting as few as four hours of lectures a week.

Students at the University of Sussex may be among the first to be charged up to £3,000-per-year for tuition following Government proposals to introduce top-up fees.

Yet at present, the minimum number of hours of teacher contact for some arts subjects is just four.

Nik Goldberg, education officer at the students' union, said: "It's absolutely disgusting. I spoke to an arts student who had worked out that they will be paying £26 per hour under the plans.

"The amount of debt people will be coming out with is absolutely mind blowing, and that will be enough to put people off coming to university."

Juliette House, 23, of Wilbury Avenue, Hove, graduated from a course in media studies in 2001.

She said: "I still have debts of more than £12,000.

"Although we had about ten hours of practicals a week, we were only actually taught for about five hours a week."

Juliette said she might not have ended up in Sussex had she had to fork out any more.

She said: "If going to university had cost any more I would probably have had to live at home to save money and studied somewhere else.

"Getting into that much debt would be a waste and it's especially galling when I have friends who are university leavers and are still only on £12,000 a year."

There is also concern higher fees would mean working-class students might be put off applying for university, despite plans to reintroduce maintenance grants, fuelling the argument that universities are becoming elitist.

With just 16 per cent of students coming from lower socio-economic groups, according to figures from the Higher Education Funding Council, the University of Sussex's image as an exclusive institution could become entrenched.

Despite the concerns, Vice-Chancellor Professor Alasdair Smith has been vocal in his support for the overhaul.

Prof Smith said: "I do not believe that taxpayers can reasonably be expected to meet all the funding needs of higher education, so it is reasonable to seek a contribution from those who personally benefit.overall package."

Communications officer Alison Field pointed out the university are aiming to increase student contact time.