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Tens of thousands of A-level students could be denied a university place this summer as Britain's top colleges warn they are already full.
Leading universities are effectively closed to any candidates who fall short of their expected grades, the Standard has learned.
The number of applications to university has soared by 60,000 to more than 600,000 this year, but ministers have only funded an extra 13,000 places.
It means students who typically find a place through the clearing process may be stranded without a course and could struggle to find a job in the recession.
A Standard investigation reveals the extent of the squeeze for places before sixth-formers learn their A-level grades next Thursday. It found that:
More than 20,000 applicants who would normally find a course through clearing are in danger of missing out. Last year 44,000 found a place through clearing, but this year fewer than half this number are likely to succeed.
The Russell Group of elite universities received 32,000 more applications this year but many have the same number or fewer places available, including Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Warwick.
London universities received 405,893 applications, 25,000 more than last year.
Thames Valley University has cut clearing vacancies by half to 600, while Nottingham expects a 75 per cent cut.
The findings come as figures showed one in five 16- to 24-year-old jobseekers were out of work. Ucas chief executive Anthony McClaran said there would be "intense" pressure on clearing - the annual process of matching students rejected by their chosen universities to vacancies elsewhere.
More than 100,000 applicants will drop out, defer the start of their course or fail to win a place, he said. "We are not expecting there to be nearly as many places in clearing this year. Last year 44,000 found places. It may be about half that.
"Once students are in clearing they need to pursue opportunities fairly rapidly because it is going to be faster and more competitive."
Fewer vacancies are expected to be filled through clearing at leading institutions including Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Southampton and Warwick. Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, LSE, Newcastle, Oxford, and UCL have no clearing vacancies at all.
In the past, universities have admitted students who were asked for A-level grades of AAB but only attained ABB, for example.
But Dr Wendy Piatt, director-general of the Russell Group, said admissions tutors had less flexibility to help students who fall short this year.
Mr McClaran suggested that demand for places had been fuelled by the recession: "This year there is a particularly strong growth in applications from mature students. One can speculate that in a time of economic difficulty, going into higher education becomes a more attractive option."
London universities received record numbers of applications and were expected to take fewer students through clearing than last year. Projected vacancies were down at Brunel, Goldsmiths and City.
Students' leaders called on ministers to fund more places. Wes Streeting, president of the National Union of Students, said: "It is surely better to bear the cost of additional university places now than to shoulder the burden of long-term unemployment later."
A spokeswoman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said: "There will be about 50,000 more accepted applicants than just three years ago."
Additional reporting by Miranda Bryant and Kirstie Hopkin
Reader views (5)
The disappointed should know that there's still plenty of room at the top, and always has been; although the bargain basement can be a little crowded for those "scholars" not bothered enough to steer the right course in their careers...
- Drew Byrne, West London
Dave, Cumbria: if you use the very silly expression 'ZaNulabour' then,frankly, you are not bright enough to be admitted to any form of tertiary education. Perhaps you should move from Cumbria to Zimbabwe to find out a little more about life?
- Dectora, London UK
If ZaNuLabour can't even provide a mere 100,000 additional necessary university places to keep pace with their open-door, mass-immigration 'induced', free-for-all population explosion; then how in God's/Allah's name can they expect to build 5 collosal, new, Birmingham sized cities before 2050 to house this recklessly trafficked mayhem?
Hey, why not borrow ... put it on the tab!
- Dave, Cumbria
The caps don't apply in Wales. It should be possible to get a place in Clearing at the Welsh universities. Take a look when the ad campaigns begin on Sunday. Good luck.
- Peace Maker, Battersea
And how many of the 60,000 are worth going to university? Probably about 10 per-cent. The rest may as well start on benefits because this is the way they will probably continue in our jammed packed island where jobs are vanishing by the second.
- Judith C, London, England.
