300,000 to miss out on university in rush for places

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

Thousands of teenagers and mature candidates who failed to win places last summer have re-applied after struggling to find work, admissions service Ucas said.

But colleges have been banned from creating extra places to meet the demand after ministers cut university funding. If the increase in applications continues, some 300,000 candidates — almost four in 10 — will fail to win places this year.

Universities face fines of £3,700 for every student they take above their strict government quotas.

Some leading universities have already been forced to raise entry grades to make it harder for candidates to win places this year, while others are looking to admit more international students, who pay far higher fees. Ucas chief executive Mary Curnock Cook said candidates faced a "very challenging and competitive" time. "There has been a steady increase year-on-year since 2007, but this year shows a sizeable leap in applications," she said.

"We could conclude that the current economic situation is causing people to apply to higher education as a way of re-training to ready themselves for the job market once the economy picks up."

The Ucas figures showed arise of 106,400 applications this year, or 22.9 per cent, including 46,000 people who applied last year but failed to win places or decided not to take up offers. This was an increase in re-applications of 45.5 per cent from last year.

Job-related courses were particularly popular, with social work applications up 41 per cent and nursing recording a rise of 74 per cent.

Wes Streeting, president of the National Union of Students, has called on ministers to fund more places.