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Universities could compete for places, including with the private sector, and be held accountable for the quality of their teaching.
Universities Minister David Willetts said the White Paper aimed to put "students in the driving seat".
Labour's John Denham attacked the plans as "unfair and unsustainable".
Students reacted angrily, with the president of the National Union of Students, Aaron Porter, warning that many students would face "complete market chaos and real uncertainty about their universities and courses".
The president of Oxford University Student Union, David Barclay, said : "Dressing up the White Paper with the language of student choice is like putting lipstick on a pig... Education is not a commodity to be bought and sold."
Teaching quality Speaking on the BBC's Today programme, Mr Willetts said that under the new system, "money will go with students" and that universities that are successful in attracting students should be able to expand.
The government wants to encourage more market forces in higher education by promoting consumer choice and making universities more accountable to students paying higher fees.
This will include plans for inspections to be triggered if there are concerns about the quality of courses or teaching standards.
Mr Willetts said a "crucial" element of the changes was that students should receive better information on issues such as contact hours with academic staff and job prospects.
The White Paper will set the landscape for higher education at a time when many students will be paying tuition fees of £9,000 per year.
The overall number of university places is expected to be kept at about the current level but there will be measures to encourage more competition between institutions.
Universities will be allowed to create more places for the most talented applicants - those with at least grades AAB at A-level.
But this is likely to have only a marginal impact on most universities. According to an analysis by the 1994 Group of universities, a majority of universities have fewer than 5% of students with these grades.
And it is expected there will also be more room for expansion for those universities willing to charge lower fees of around £6,000 per year.
But Labour's universities spokesman, Gareth Thomas, said this would be a "race to the bottom", designed to push down the overall cost of student loans, when many more universities than anticipated opted to charge the maximum fee.
Private sector Universities are also set to bid for a proportion of places above a "core" number.
As well as competing with each other, universities will also compete with private providers.
At present there are only five private bodies in England with degree-awarding powers - but it is expected that this could increase.
And there are plans to remove barriers to new providers, which could mean more private institutions being set up or partnerships between public universities and the private sector.
Mr Willetts said such institutions would in future be "regulated on the same basis as everyone else".
And he said he also wanted existing universities "to be in the mindset they are not in the public sector".
The government wants a more flexible choice for students in a more "liberalised" higher education market.
As an example, the Open University will offer courses through local further education colleges.
Student charter There will be a "student charter" setting out their rights if there are disputes over the quality of courses or facilities.
Last week the Higher Education Funding Council announced that universities would have to publish key information about courses, such as the average salary of former students, the cost of accommodation, teaching hours and satisfaction ratings from previous students.
The funding council will itself have a new role as a "consumer champion" for students.
John Denham, the shadow business secretary, dismissed the plans, saying: "It's a shambles, they're making it up as they go along."
He argued that the White Paper is an attempt by the government to get itself "off the hook" after universities set tuition fees at a higher level than expected.
"The main driver in what they're doing today is to try to drive down the cost of some universities - but I fear at the cost of the quality of the education - and that's not a good deal for students," said Mr Denham.
Lecturers also attacked the proposals as an attempt by the goverment to recover from having lost control of fees.
"Trying to force down the cost of a degree after the government got its sums wrong will not solve the funding crisis it created," said Sally Hunt, leader of the University and College Union.
Competition on price will not affect Scottish students in Scotland's universities where there are no tuition fees. In Wales there are plans for Welsh students at Welsh universities to receive a subsidy covering increased tuition fees.
A decision on tuition fees and support for students at Northern Ireland's universities is expected in the autumn.