Rush to beat increased tuition fees

Figures released by UCAS have shown a 4.2 per cent increase in university applications, as students are expected to cancel gap year plans to beat the tuition fee rise.

Education analysts have suggested there will be a ‘scramble for places’ following the release of the Browne Review and plans to lift the cap on tuition fees from 2012.

The figures show a 12.6 per cent increase in applications from Yorks and The Humber, compared with less than three per cent in applications from the southwest.

Applications from Scotland have also increased by almost nine per cent, reflecting the uncertainty about university funding north of the border.

Francesca Gould, a prospective student from Devon, told The Journal: “I am feeling the pressure of applying this year but I do not regret taking my gap year. I am more worried about the lack of places this year than the tuition fee issue. A lot of my friends have decided to apply this year instead of taking a gap year because they are worried about getting in.”

A record 209,253 - one in three applicants - were left with no university place this year due to rocketing demand.

Budget cuts means that there will be no increase in the number of places available this year, meaning that more than 220,000 students could be disappointed.

The Scottish government has enforced a cap on admissions for Scottish universities, with institutions suffering heavy fines if they exceed the limit.

The statistics show that applications have increased particularly in subjects that will not lose their government funding and vocational subjects that are seen as routes to stable careers.

Applications to study medicine, business studies and teaching have all risen between 20 and 30 per cent. Meanwhile, applications for arts degrees have dropped by five per cent.

Nicholas Davis, a prospective student from Manchester, told The Journal: “I am a bit more worried than I expected to be having seen the vast difference between how many people apply to some universities and how many are accepted. It's a bit disconcerting to say the least. I think the pressure of competition is getting to me more than the worry about tuition fees; everybody wants the best students they can get.”

A spokesperson for UCAS stressed that it is still early in the application cycle: “For the first month of the application cycle for 2011 entry, there has been an increase of 4.2 per cent based on the same time last year. We have seen a trend in recent years where people are sending their applications in sooner, so this might account for the early rise in figures. However, after only one month of reporting, it is still far too early to speculate how the cycle will pan out.”