Student Protests

And as it came to pass, the meek shall vote with their feet


University applications from UK students for the first year of higher tuition fees are down by 8.7%, according to figures from the admissions service

With fees rising to up to £9,000 per year, the impact has been biggest for England's universities - down by 9.9%.

Universities Minister David Willetts said "It is encouraging that applications from people from some of the most disadvantaged backgrounds remain strong"

But Sally Hunt, general secretary of the UCU lecturers' union, said the "figures are very worrying and once again highlight the government's folly in raising tuition fees to as much as £9,000 a year. Applications in England are down over 50% more than in any other part of the UK as a result of the government making it the most expensive country in the world in which to gain a public degree."

There had been much debate about whether students would be influenced by fee levels - and the private BPP University College, which charges £5,000 per year for a three-year course, is reporting that applications have more than doubled.

There have also been signs of an increase in UK students applying overseas. Maastricht University in the Netherlands, where fees are £1,500 per year, is reporting a surge in applications

The change does not come into effect until this September/Octobers admission. So how have they worked out what the effect will be until then?

If the reduction is 9.9% now I wonder what the effect will be when next years admissions are calculated.

In Nottingham, the two universities are having record admissions this year (Admissions September/October 2011) as the new pricing does not come into affect until 2012 admission.

Dave_Notts

Totally agree Blue............so how does the link state that the dip is not as bad as was feared if the new admissions have not even started yet?

Dave_Notts

What total dross, that is the trouble with Britaain now, everyone is full of apathy. i think its right that "the people" stand up and be counted, that is true democracy, not the lily livered attitude that the state knows best and is always right! It is not. the irony of the student fees is that most will never be paid back, or if it is it will take decades! All it means is that the Govt is saddled with a huge debt that it is never likely to recover. Who are these layabout wankers? Oh yes, probably middle class wankers, sons of MP's or multimillionaire musicians. And as for destroying peoples livelihoods, I think the bankers and the present govt are doing a a pretty good job at that!

Only 8.7% down............thankfully it wasn't higher then phew. The big but...........and you know it is coming ..............but what percentage of lower income students have not applied this year?

For those that can afford university, whatever the price, are not going to be affected. It is those that have not been born into the right family that will suffer. Nothing I can see where they break it down demographically.

Dave_Notts

we went down last week to chichester uni as my daughter wants to get a degree in teaching.

it was a fine uni and her interview went very well. in fact so well she has been offered a place there in september based on her grades. this is the first of 5 uni interviews she will be attending and because of the drop in uni graduates, she will hopefully have a better chance of getting in the better uni out of the 5 she is looking at going to. so that has to be good for her as she is not an A grade student.

yes the cost is high. luckily it is now only a 3 year degree course as the 4th yeer will be spent in the classroom. but as i have said to her, she will have a recognised degree which she can use all of her life in being a teecher. the scope within teaching is huge as to where a person can go. yes 27 grand is a lot of debt but the payback of that money is taken gradually and i am sure that if a person had to pay full price for that degree it would be a lot more than 9 grand a yeer.

she is prepared to take the gamble if that is the right word, as she is clever and i hope that it will end up being one of the better decisions she makes in here life, even with the debt.