Student applications go down now the tip of the iceberg

The number of home student applicants to UK universities have fallen significantly this year, with mature student applications the worst hit. Some university figures playing down the impact, but it can only be the tip of the iceberg to a decade of changes to university funding.

At the beginning of this month the UK's body for university admission applications, LUCAS, released figures indicating that applications for this year by an average of 8.7%. It can be a lot to do with the rising increase in tuition fees in England.

Almost every discipline in the face a decline in applications, with most victims in non-European languages ​​and technology, both of which were by almost a fifth.

The only subjects increased slightly was the 'line of medicine "that nursing, midwifery and physiotherapy. However, increased interest in this particular career is probably more to do with the fact that they have to pay the government-funded and no tuition fees, rather than a sudden philanthropic urge of the current stock of the English 18-year-olds.

Adult students more interesting are the news that the largest decline in applications among mature students, with a total decrease of almost 11% of the students about 25. One reason is that adult students most affected by the change fee. From autumn 2012 they will no longer be eligible for student loans when studying for a second degree.

Liam Burns, president of the National Union of Students, told the Guardian: "This is a deeply troubling sign that people seeking education and get training to avoid their ambitions university and the debt that comes to promoting this.”

Adult students make a third of the student population and contributes greatly to student life. In the British environment where you have to practically make up your mind about your future career at the tender age of 18, it seems very short-sighted of the government to further degrees for those who might want to change their minds limited.

And crude financial terms, why would one want a possible third of customers' universities alienated?

On an international scale, Britain behind other countries on the issue of mature students and qualifications levels. In a statement by Universities UK, the body representing universities showed that Canada, the US, New Zealand and Russia all have a much higher rate of 25 to 64 year olds with a qualification higher education as the United Kingdom.

Random approach

Professor Michael penny, group chairman of the 1994 group, which represents the top 19 British universities, said the application of decline: "The uncertainty caused by the government's approach to reform randomly did not help."

The decline in applications to universities coming to the end of a very negative year for English higher education policy; one for which a haphazard approach "would be a suitable description.

The Browne Report 2009 first proposed the abolition of tuition fees cap, and after a change of government to a conservative-liberal coalition the madness continued with the white paper of July 2011, which proposed making it easier for private universities open to make.

The government, led by David Cameron, then stumbled through the next few months with improvised strategies.

The tuition cap lifted, but ministers encouraged universities the full £ 9,000 (US $ 14.140) limit upper fee charges promising students that this will occur only under "exceptional circumstances". Unfortunately for the government, and thousands of students, more than half of the institutions in England decided to charge the full amount in autumn 2012.

Institutions are allowed the chance to bid for 20,000 additional undergraduate places as they cut tuition fees. Grades "no frills" is set, where full-time students fees half year would pay, but restrict access to facilities.

Perhaps similar to no-frills' airlines these students will have to upgrade "if they want to use the internet or buy a book. Last year we also the highest student debt was the eye-watering figure of £ 66.150 (US $ 104,000). And this is without fee increase.

Moments of madness these moments of madness in 2011 may have some way to explain why so many students have decided to avoid university education autumn go. From a student perspective, the current system in England seems to be a big mess.

Tuition fees have soared from nothing to £ 9,000 in the past decade. With the government changing its mind every few months, students are overloaded with information and percentages and numbers of charges flying around, the process confusing.

The current decline in applications will by the previous British government set with 50% of 18- to 30-year olds at university target time. As part of that generation myself, we are now graduating with the gloomy prospect that unemployment is at a 15-year high and that anyone and everyone has a degree.

Perhaps this contributed to the application fall as students feel that they can be better off an effort to work immediately to get fewer qualifications for three years and nearly £ 30,000 of debt in the row they are in no better position.

Experts optimistic said that the decline in student numbers applicants not as bad as they had expected. Try to put a positive spin on things Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK sets, said: "We have started a similar dip in 2006 when tuition fees rose to £ 3,000, which is then corrected in the following year."

While this may be true, personally I think that the decline in applications this year is just the tip of the iceberg in what will be a tumultuous few years for policy makers and students to be.

* Hannah Black stock is a student journalist studying German and history at the University of Nottingham. She is currently in Germany for a year abroad Erasmus.