Applications drop for first time in six years

The number of students applying to British universities has fallen for the first time in six years - just months before the introduction of tuition fees of up to £3,000 per annum. The overall drop of 3.4% sparked off a war of words between student leaders and Government. National Union of Students) president Kat Fletcher said 'The drop in applications is extremely worrying, and suggests that top-up fees and the debt they represent are deterring potential students'

However, Higher Education minister Bill Rammell claimed a drop had been expected and was nowhere near as drastic as opponents of fees had predicted. 'I have always said we would see a small fall in applications this year on the back of the much larger than usual increase last year. But [the numbers applying] are still almost 12,500 above the corresponding figure in 2004.'

Fears that fewer students from poorer backgrounds would apply appeared to be unfounded as figures from university clearing house UCAS suggested the drop in applications from poorer students was no worse than for any other economic group.

Some critics of fees thought there would be an exodus of English students to Scotland or Wales where fees don't apply but this doesn't appear to have happened. While the drop in applications to Scottish universities was lower than the UK average, the number of English-born students increased by just 1.9% - around fifty additional students. 'Not even a busload' was one university chief's observation.

The figures also showed a decline in the arts in favour of more vocational courses with philosophy down 4%, history nearly 8% and art and religious history both down 10%.

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