NEWS - HE NEWS

Universities UK responds to record application figures

Issued 08 February 2010

Universities UK has responded to today’s UCAS application figures showing - as of 22 January 2010 - a rise of 106,389 or 22.9% over 2009 in the number of applicants to UK universities and colleges.

The figures show an increase of 45.5% in the number of applicants who were reapplying compared to 2009 (the 2010 figures include 46,012 applicants who previously applied in 2009) and also reveal very significant increases in applications from those over 20 years (up 44.8% for 21 to 24 year olds, and 63.4% for over 25s).

Responding to the figures, Professor Steve Smith, President of Universities UK, said: “This is the fourth year running that university applications have seen an increase and highlights the unprecedented levels of interest in higher education courses. This is good news since it indicates that many more people understand and want their share of the benefits that higher education brings. It also reflects the considerable improvement over the last decade in student attainment at 16.

“The figures confirm that this year's applicants will be competing for places against a large number of people who previously applied in 2009. The significant increase in the number of mature applicants also shows that people are continuing to look to upskill and retrain to meet changing employer demands.

“Given the increasing demand for a limited number of places, we expect another challenging admissions period this summer for both applicants and institutions. With this further jump in demand and the continued cap on student numbers in England, it's inevitable that we are going to see even more pressure on places this year and the strong possibility of many well-qualified students missing out.

“Alongside the growth in the number of home applications, the increase in demand from international applicants is also good news. This underlines the UK's position as one of the leading international destinations for students looking for innovative, high-quality degree programmes.

“With this unprecedented demand for higher education courses, UUK believes that the case for continued public investment in higher education is overwhelming. This should take the form of the allocation of additional student numbers, but UUK stresses that these must be fully funded, both in terms of HEFCE funding and in terms of additional Treasury support for student support costs. In 2009, the additional 10,000 students were not fully funded either in resourcing to universities or in additional student support costs. It is absolutely in no one's interest to have another round of unfunded growth and it is therefore critical that we do not have any expansion without funding.”

ENDS

Notes

1. The latest applications figures are available at: http://www.ucas.com/about_us/media_enquiries/media_releases/2010/080210