Applications fall at English universities

By Chris Cook, Education Correspondent
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
University applications have fallen in England in the face of rising tuition fees at the country’s universities, according to Ucas, the university admissions service.
 
Mary Curnock Cook, Ucas chief executive, reported “a reduced young application rate of about 5 per cent after correcting for falling populations. Application rates for older applicants have declined slightly more – by about 15 to 20 per cent.”
 

The organisation’s analysis revealed that “around one young English applicant in 20 who might have been expected to apply in 2012 did not do so”. The falls are similar for advantaged and disadvantaged students.
 
Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, which represents institutions, said: “These figures confirm that the fall in applications is far less dramatic than some were predicting for this year.” She also noted that university places continue to be oversubscribed.
 
So far this year, there have been 557,000 applicants from the EU and UK. The total number of such places, which the government pays for, is capped and last year this cap was 458,000 undergraduates.
 
Evidence from the other UK nations suggests that the rise in the top level of fees from £3,375 to £9,000 has caused the drop in applications, with more Scottish and Northern Irish students avoiding English universities.
 
The number of non-EU applicants, who are not affected by the fee changes, applying through Ucas rose 8.5 per cent.
 
Shabana Mahmood, shadow minister for higher education, said: “It is clear that the drastic increase in fees and the increased debt burden is putting people of all ages off going to university and investing their future.”
 
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2012.