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8 February 2010

million+ comment on record number of university applications


Commenting on figures from UCAS, showing a record number of applicants to higher education in 2010 and a 22.9% increase on last year, Professor Les Ebdon, Chair of million+ and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire said: “The Government now has a straightforward choice: fully fund additional student places in 2010 or spend more on benefits for the thousands turned away from higher education.

“The failure to fund universities will increase the call on the benefits budget of the Department of Work and Pensions, as thousands of applicants, who would have studied for degrees, are instead left to sign on because of a shortage of funded places.

“The most worrying consequence of this shortage, is that many ‘widening participation’ students will miss out as universities juggle the applications of candidates with very high grades against those with lower pre-entry or vocational qualifications. A degree would vastly improve the life chances of young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds and it would significantly increase the opportunities of those people over 25, many of whom have been made redundant in the recession and who have applied in hugely increased numbers this year, as they try to retrain.

“With the UK’s economy still very fragile and high value skills a wise investment in a difficult jobs market, missing out on a degree this year could be immensely damaging.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

  1. million+ is a leading university think-tank, working to solve the complex problems in higher education www.millionplus.ac.uk
  2. The complete UCAS statistical tables are available here. For the applications digest, click here. The 2010 figures show very significant increases from 2009 in applications from older applicants: up 44.8% for 21 to 24 year olds, and 63.4% for over 25s. An increase of 41.3% in applications for social work and 16.2% for teaching suggest that the current economic situation is causing people to apply to higher education as a way of retraining.
  3. The additional 10,000 student places made available in 2009 were not fully funded either in resourcing to universities or in additional student support costs. Additional student numbers in 2010 need to be fully funded by Hefce funding and through additional Treasury support for student support costs.
  4. For more information please contact Victoria Mills on 0207 7171655 or 07900 277819