Latest news: Student numbers down as fees go up

The number of UK students wanting to do a degree has dropped by more than 50,000 so far this year, as tuition fees triple on average to £9,000. 17/07/2012

The latest statistics from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)  show that compared to this time last year, there has been an 8.9% drop in UK applicants.

In England, those applying fell by 10%, a bigger deficit than those in Wales (2.9%), Scotland (2.1%) and Northern Ireland (4.5%).

The statistics also showed that there was a 10.5% drop for people aged 30 to 35 years old, while the figure for applicants aged over 40 was down 10.9%.

Head of pay, conditions and pensions at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), Martin Freedman, said, ‘Today’s UCAS figures have blown out of the water the government’s argument that trebling tuition fees would have little effect on the number of students applying for university, with the steep fall in applications from students living in England clearly showing that students are being put off by the fear of huge debts.’

Universities minister David Willetts, tried to assure the doubters that 2012 will still be a successful year in higher education. He said, ‘The proportion of English school leavers applying to university is the second highest on record and people are still applying.

‘Even with a small reduction in applications, this will still be a competitive year like any other, as people continue to understand that university remains a good long-term investment for their future.’