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All schools in England should have university scholarships made available for their poorest pupils, the Lib Dem deputy leader has said.
Simon Hughes said schools instead of universities should be able to allocate bursaries of £3,000 to the most needy students.
It would mean students could then choose which university they want to attend and take the money with them.
In a report published today, Hughes said such measures would help would motivate students from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve the A-level grades needed to go to university.
Hughes, the government's advocate on access to higher education was tasked with helping to promote higher education to poor pupils after MPs voted in December to raise tuition fees in England.
Hughes' report contains 30 recommendations, also calling for 10 and 11-year-olds to be given careers advice, with parents and other adults talking to pupils about their jobs.
It also calls for all schools and colleges to have in place two members of staff to give career and university advice.
And it recommends that students aged between 14 and 16 are given lessons in basic financial management, to help inform their choices about university and training and help them in their everyday lives.
Speaking to Radio 4’s Today programme Hughes said there was "enough money in the kitty" for each sixth form school and college in the country to offer three of the scholarships from next year.
He said: "The pre-condition is that you would come from a low-income family and other than that it would be for the school to decide.
"You would then take it, as it were, to the university of your choice. The whole idea is to motivate people who would otherwise think that 'university is not for me'."
Universities minister David Willetts said: "Education is key to transforming lives, delivering social mobility and securing our nation's future.
"So we agree with Simon that young people must be supported in making well-informed decisions on university entrance, apprenticeships and other opportunities."
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