Ucas: university applications reach record high

Record numbers of students are applying to university this year in a rush to beat a major hike in tuition fees, figures suggest.

Figures from Ucas show a 5.1 per cent rise in university applications this year.Photo: GETTY IMAGES

By Graeme Paton, Education Editor1:14PM GMT 31 Jan 2011

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Some 583,500 people submitted applications by the end of January as demand for degree courses soared by more than five per cent this year.

Numbers have been swelled by rising demand among students aged 19 to 21, suggesting many are reapplying after being rejected in previous years.

Applications from students living in European Union member states, who are eligible for the same subsidised loans as their British peers, have also soared by 17 per cent, it was revealed.

The rise in figures published by the Universities and College Admissions Service (Ucas) comes amid claims that more students are pushing for higher education places this autumn before a near tripling of fees a year later. MPs voted in December to raise the cap on fees from 3,290 to 9,000 in 2012.

Experts warned that the rise was likely to lead to more students missing out on courses following a Government decision to freeze places at last years levels.