University tuition fees may have to go up to at least £6,000 a year, concludes a survey of university managers in England.

The Guardian poll of 100 university chiefs shows that there is mounting concern over the new funding system that only allows a maximum fee of £3,000 to be levied, as this does not represent a sustainable level of saving and investment for the institutions.

The fees for some science courses should be pitched at around the £10,000 level if they are to be truly cost-effective, according to dons.

There was also concern expressed that the Government is currently writing off around £1bn a year in unpaid student debts, a situation that many feel does not represent a good saving and investment for the higher education system.

Many vice chancellors from the Russell Group – the top 20 universities that conduct the most research – stated that fees would have to at least double following a review of the system in 2009.

One head told the Guardian that families should plan their saving and investment more carefully to ensure their offspring could properly afford higher education.

Higher education minister Bill Rammell said: “Before we get to 2010, the date to which fees are currently frozen, an independent commission reporting to Parliament will report on the first three years’ experience of the system and will consider future arrangements for the fee cap and student support.”