Varsity applicants drop by 12% as fee hike looms

London: The number of UK-born university applicants for next September when fees rise to up to £9,000 (Dh52,688.30) a year has plummeted by almost 12 per cent, official figures show.

The first set of statistics on applications to university next year, published by the Universities and Colleges and Admissions Service (Ucas), reveal that, so far, just 52,321 applicants have applied from within the UK, compared with 59,413 this time last year.

The figures have led union leaders to brand the decision to almost treble fees "a disaster". The statistics are an early indication of the total number of applications, but only show the number of applicants and applications received by universities by October 15. This is the deadline for Oxford, Cambridge and courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine.

Candidates for other universities have until January 15 to apply, but there has been a trend for early submissions and these figures include early applications for other universities and courses too.

The number of applicants from within and outside the UK combined has fallen by 9 per cent to 69,724 from 76,612 this time last year. The statistics show that the number of applications candidates can apply to up to five universities from the UK and elsewhere has fallen by 7.9 per cent to 299,764 from 325,527 this time last year.

The proportion of applications to Oxford, Cambridge, medicine, veterinary science and dentistry alone has fallen, but not by very much. The number of applicants to these courses has decreased by 0.8 per cent the equivalent of 464 candidates and the number of applications has gone down by 1.7 per cent, the equivalent of 2,298 fewer applications.

Universities and politicians have been worried that the decision to almost treble tuition fees to up to £9,000 next year would deter many, particularly the most disadvantaged, from applying. Students do not pay the fees upfront, but pay them back in the form of a student loan when they are earning more than £21,000.

The figures show women have been put off applying to university more. Some 10.5 per cent fewer women applied this year than last, compared to 7 per cent fewer men. Mature students have been particularly deterred by the higher fees, the figures show. The proportion of applicants aged 40 or older has fallen by 27.8 per cent, while those aged between 30 and 39 has dropped by 22.7 per cent.

— Guardian News & Media Limited