12,000 more hunt places

Latest figures confirm this year's scramble for university places.

Applications for courses starting this autumn are up by 3.1 per cent on the same time last year, representing more than 12,000 extra would-be students.

The increases are biggest in some of the most competitive subjects, making it harder for students even with straight A-grades to get a place: applications for medical degrees are up by 22.3 per cent, architecture 16.9 per cent, dentistry 14 per cent, and law 8.2 per cent.

At the same time, more overseas students are applying to British universities - notably, this year, from Cyprus, which becomes a member of the EU on Saturday, entitling nationals to lower fees and means-tested financial support. Applications from Cyprus more than doubled to 1,458.

Today's figures, published by the Ucas, show that up to the end of last month, there was an 18.1 per cent increase in applications from students beyond the borders of the EU.

Universities facing the need to raise millions in extra revenue, despite the Government's promise of higher tuition fees, are already recruiting more overseas students because they can charge them well beyond the £3,000 limit proposed by ministers.

Latest figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show that last year, universities' income from overseas students rose by 24 per cent.

This year, the Ucas figures show a total of 32,000 applications from overseas countries outside the EU, including 5,700 from China.