LIVE: MPs Debate Controversial Fees Hike
A senior Lib Dem source tells Sky News they expect around 20 of the party's MPs to vote against increasing tuition fees. Skip related content
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It came less than two hours before MPs were due to decide on the Coalition Government's policy.
Earlier Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg admitted allowing universities to charge students £9,000 a year was not the policy he "wanted to deliver"."It's been a long, drawn out process," Mr Clegg said.
"I'll be saying to colleagues that no, it's not the policy we wanted to deliver, but under the circumstances - we have little money, we're asking lots of people to make sacrifices, we want more people from poorer backgrounds to go to university - it's not unreasonable to ask successful graduates to make a contribution towards the cost of their education.
"In the circumstances, this is the fairest, best possible policy."
Mr Clegg has said Liberal Democrat ministers will vote in favour of the proposals.
It means any who wish to disobey will have to resign from their government posts.
Lib Dem MPs have permission to abstain under the terms of the coalition agreement but more than a dozen may rebel by voting 'no'.
Deputy leader Simon Hughes has said he will definitely abstain and may oppose the government.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said he was not concerned about Mr Hughes' decision.
"We've had to compromise in the national interest," he told Sky News.
"We have to have a stable government and we have to make budget cuts.
"The coalition agreement does provide for abstention and I have no difficulty with colleagues choosing that option.
"It would be completely wrong for me - as the minister of state who crafted the policy - not to vote for it."
Those who have confirmed they oppose the fees increase include former party leader Charles Kennedy and the current president Tim Farron.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne was initially called back from a UN summit in Cancun to vote for the Government but hours later the decision was reversed.
He said he wanted to "finish the vital work we have started" and blamed Labour for not allowing him to strike a "vote swap" deal with an opposition MP.
Mr Cable announced a series of minor concessions to try to coax MPs back on side.
But Labour leader Ed Miliband has urged wavering Lib Dems to vote against the Government.
"I want to make an appeal to Liberal Democrat MPs who are thinking of abstaining because if too many of them abstain, they will let these tuition fee changes through," he said.
Three or four Conservative MPs are expected to vote against the policy and a further six or seven could abstain.
Senior Tory MP David Davis is among those who will vote 'no'.
The Government wants to raise the cap on fees from £3,290.
It argues the reforms are fairer than the current system as payments are delayed until a graduate earns more than £21,000.
First MPs must vote on increasing fees to £6,000 and then separately on whether some institutions can charge £9,000 in exceptional circumstances.
The debate is expected to begin shortly after 5pm.
Earlier this week, Lib Dem backbencher Greg Mulholland called for the vote to be delayed so that greater public consultation can take place.
Labour's shadow business secretary John Denham has confirmed the opposition agrees as he said the measures do not have the support of the public.
"As the proposals are rushed through without the consequences thought out, we are calling on MPs from across the political spectrum to support the amendment," he said.
On Wednesday, Mr Clegg told Sky News he "would love" to scrap tuition fees altogether but the reality of governing with the Conservatives, plus the state of the economy, made it impossible.
Analysis by the Institute of Fiscal Studies gave the new proposals a mixed review.
It concluded the policy was partially more progressive than the current system but warned a scholarship fund may actually encourage the top universities not to take poorer students
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