A newspaper launched by a business student less than two years ago is to be rolled out to 30 cities with a print run of 1.2m.

The University Paper was set up by Nottingham Trent University student Chris Moss, pictured below, who has since graduated from the college’s business school.

After initially circulating in Nottingham, it is now being rolled out to 16 other major cities with plans for a further 14 by January.

The move, which follows a deal with Loaded magazine owner Simian Publishing, will take the overall circulation of the monthly title to 1.2m.

It is planned that the paper will feature 20 pages of national content and 20 pages of local content for each of the cities where it circulates.

It will be handed out on campuses, delivered to student houses and halls of residences, stocked in participating outlets and placed in distribution bins.

Chris, 22, who graduated two months ago with a 2:1 in Business Management and Marketing, will continue to oversee the paper while developing plans for its website.

“It’s incredibly exciting. I always had plans to grow The University Paper as a business, but I never dreamed of anything as big as this,” he asid.

The paper, launched with the support of NTU’s centre for enterprise and entrepreneurship, The Hive, has already opened a London office.

A team of sales staff in London will market advertising opportunities to media agencies and national companies, while local sales forces will sell adverts directly to companies in their individual areas.

Rich Clayton, creative director of Simian Publishing, said: “The University Paper is a terrific opportunity for us as a publisher to communicate with such a diverse and dynamic audience.

“The opportunity that Chris presented to us, both in the publication and himself, was thrilling for us and we look forward to building on these strong foundations and providing a true, accountable voice for Britain’s vibrant student community.”

Chris Hall, business manager of The Hive, added: “This is a major deal for The University Paper and it shows just how successful young entrepreneurs can be when given the right support and backing.

“We’re tremendously excited for Chris and hope that this venture will now help him take his business to the next level. With a base remaining in The Hive, we will, of course, continue to provide him with our support and help him develop the business further.”