In its report submitted to the Government’s Office for Fair Access (Offa), the University of Cambridge has warned that it may struggle to increase intake from state schools after the rise in tuition fees.

Under the government’s new tuition fee plans, universities wishing to charge the maximum fee of £9,000 must show that they are making a concerted effort to increase access to students from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds.

Offa is the body tasked with approving universities’ tuition fee proposals and has the power to stop institutions charging the highest fee.

Within the report, Cambridge says its "principal milestone is to increase the proportion of our UK undergraduate intake from schools in the UK state sector".

However, it adds: "Given the uncertainty regarding application trends in light of the new financial circumstances, our minimum objective for 2012 will be to maintain our intake profile."

Cambridge’s aim to just maintain its current intake profile has come about due to concerns that the higher tuition fees may deter students at state schools rom applying.

In 1999, when top-up fees were first introduced, and again in 2004, when these fees were increased, the proportion of students admitted to Cambridge from state schools actually fell.

Hence, the University has set a modest short-term aim of maintaining its current intake with a longer-term aim of increasing access.

In 2009, 59% of students admitted to Cambridge went to a state school with 10% coming from poorer backgrounds.

The university would like to increase this figure to between 61-63% by 2015.

A spokesperson for the University of Cambridge said, "The access agreement we have submitted clearly shows that there will be a concerted drive to increase state school participation, but we must be realistic and realise that in the first year this will be a challenge."

The report will come as another blow to David Willetts, the Universities minister, and Nick Clegg, the Deputy PM, who argued that the new tuition fee system will be better for those from poorer backgrounds.

They also said that “only in exceptional circumstances” would the full £9,000 fee be charged. In reality, over three-quarters of universities have decided to charge the highest fee.