The exception not the rule?

One of the central arguments by which certain Lib Dem MP's were, ahem, persuaded, to march through the 'Yes' lobby to support tuition fees was the understanding that max charging would be the exception not the rule.

Yet this report in The Guardian suggests that of the 16 Universities who have announced their fees for 2012, 13 have gone for the maximum and only 2 have schemes in place to ease the burden for students from less wealthy backgrounds. And even those 2 schemes look fairly mean spirited - and where are the big campaigns to persuade and help less well off students to apply?

I look forward to the government casting an acerbic eye in these universities direction - and being strong enough to say 'no'if any thresholds are not reached.