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University applications drop 8.7% as tuition fees increase

University applications from within the UK have dropped by 8.7% as students look to avoid increased tuition fees which come into force this summer.

UCAS figures have shown that overall (UK and international) applications dropped to 583,546 (-7.4%) with a fall of just under 10% from English students. This comes as tuition fees are set to rise to £9,000 a year for students starting higher education in September.

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The hugely unpopular increase was made as the Government cut English university budgets by £449m in February 2010.

The Government defended the latest drop in applications which also saw the widening of an ongoing gender gap, with almost 90,000 more female applicants this year.

"The proportion of English school leavers applying to university today is greater than ever before, barring last year," said Universities and Science Minister David Willetts.

“Even with a small reduction in applications, this will still be a competitive year like any other as people continue to understand that university remains a good long-term investment in your future," he added.

Figures showed that the drops were most prevalent in England, with little change to the number of university applications made in Scotland (-1.5%) and Wales (-1.9%).

"Today's figures are very worrying and once again highlight the Government's folly in raising tuition fees to as much as £9,000 a year," said general secretary of the University and College Union, Sally Hunt.

"We cannot afford a system that puts people off university if we are to compete in the modern world," she added. "This Government risks returning us to a time when money, not ability, mattered most for success."

There has also been a significant drop in applications to creative arts and design courses (16.3%) with smaller colleges taking a severe hit. University for Creative Arts (29.7), University of the Arts London (19%) and Arts University College Bournemouth (19.2%) were among the most affected.