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Students without a university place opt for part-time courses
Tim Ross, Education Correspondent21 Aug 2009
Desperate sixth-formers are turning to part-time study as traditional universities warn that degree courses are full.
With six students chasing every vacancy in clearing, teenagers are applying in unprecedented numbers to study two or three days a week or in the evenings.
The Open University said it had had a 36 per cent rise in course registrations from 18 to 21-year-olds, and Birkbeck College, which specialises in evening classes, said student interest was up by a quarter on last year. Six school-leavers shocked OU office staff in Milton Keynes yesterday by arriving to ask about courses.
A Standard investigation found that universities have been swamped with thousands of calls from sixth-formers looking for last-available places after a surge in demand for degrees. Also:
* A record 610,453 people applied to university through admissions service Ucas this year, up 10 per cent on 2008.
* 383,000 candidates have had their university places confirmed — more than before.
* 141,669 applicants are chasing an estimated 22,000 clearing places, 5,200 of which have been filled.
* Leading institutions, including Bristol, Oxford, Imperial College London, London School of Economics and University College London have announced they have no vacancies through clearing.
* Southampton University received 3,000 calls for 25 clearing vacancies, while Brunel took 7,000 inquiries for 600 places.
For the first time, Ucas advisers are suggesting students consider studying part-time. Christina Lloyd, Open University head of teaching, said the admissions office had seen unprecedented demand. “More young people are now choosing to stay at home and study, and continuing with their part-time jobs to avoid the kind of debt that comes with traditional institutions and tuition fees,” she said.
“This year's surge in numbers could also be due to the wider economic downturn, with more people choosing to stay in education rather than seek out job opportunities.”
A spokesman for Birkbeck said the university had booked 2,500 people on to its next open day, “far exceeding” those who attended last year's event.
Anthony Baafi, 19, from Hayes, narrowly missed out on his first choices to study business at Royal Holloway or Queen Mary after achieving two Bs and a C. He said: “I never anticipated any trouble finding a place to study.”
Anum Naveed, 19, from Ilford, was refused places to study medicine despite having four As. She said: “I was so happy with my results but am totally confused that I cannot find a place. I will not give up on my dream.”
Ministers have funded only an extra 13,000 places this year, despite 55,000 more applications being made.
A-level results: Click here to see how your school fared (pdf)
Reader views (4)
No: the Universities have not 'run out of places' - too many people have passed the exams. The whole point of 'A' Levels was to weed out the cleverest from those who did GCSEs, then Finals exams weed out the cleverest from those who passed their 'A' Levels. This is why employers used to pay more for graduates: the whole idea of these exams the world over is to find out THE BEST.
Comrades Brown and Blair don't like the concept of finding the best - they've spent a decade dumbing the UK down. I live in a socialist country with excellent education that is fairly uniform country-wide: you're not allowed to move up to the next level EACH YEAR from the age of 6 unless you're ready/good enough. The school does the best that it can for each pupil and there is extra supplementary support for those who are struggling. Everyone gets roughly the same good start and you make of it what you will. Britain brings everything down to the bottom level and discriminates against the brightest: the Government wants to give all children a completely random start then hold the best back to make sure everyone winds up with the same result, irrespective of merit: it is essentially communist. Whilst the primary school sportsday 'everyone wins a prize' scheme makes British students feel good, they won't half come a cropper when compete for jobs with international candidates.
- Roz, France, 21/08/2009 14:43
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Bring back national service that will give them a job
- Richard Edmunds, Rayleigh Essex, 21/08/2009 12:45
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MORE FOR THE DOLE QUEUES ?
- Bernard Parke, GUILDFORD, 21/08/2009 11:35
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The Welsh universities are not subject to the same limitations on places so if you don't want to sit a year out, don't mind being rained on, and can put up with the dopey Welsh accent, try their Clearing hotlines.
- Peace Maker, Battersea, 21/08/2009 10:13
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